freon
/ˈfɹiːɒn/
"freon" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“freon” is uncommon English (frequency #73,203 among 18,613 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #73,203
- frequency rank, English
- 18,613
- “F” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of several nonflammable refrigerants based on halogenated hydrocarbon including R-12, R-22, and R-23.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | freon |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈfɹiːɒn/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #73,203 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “freon” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
freon is uncommon English at frequency #73,203 among 18,613 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfɹiːɒn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for freon, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: A genericization of the Chemours trademark "Freon." According to Flood, the name was formed from freeze and the arbitrary suffix -on. The correct English form is freon, spelled F-R-E-O-N.
Definition
- 1Any of several nonflammable refrigerants based on halogenated hydrocarbon including R-12, R-22, and R-23.
- 2A gaseous ozone-depleting refrigerant.
- 3A chlorofluorocarbon.
Etymology
A genericization of the Chemours trademark "Freon." According to Flood, the name was formed from freeze and the arbitrary suffix -on.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “freon”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-R-E-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈfɹiːɒn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Other uncommon English words near this rank
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.