infraction

/ɪnˈfɹakʃən/

//ɪnˈfɹakʃən// noun

"infraction" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“infraction” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,865. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,865
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A minor offence, petty crime.

Corpus desk

Index EN-infraction · infraction · English

infraction · rank #32,865 · 15 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,865
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH infra

Nearest frequency peer: infra (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “infraction”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “infraction” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

infraction vs interaction
82% similar
infraction vs inaction
80% similar
infraction vs infection
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for infraction
PropertyValue
Headwordinfraction
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈfɹakʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#32,865
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “infraction”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).infractionlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “infra” (#32,864), “infighting” (#32,863), “inkling” (#32,867). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “infraction” is #32,865. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around infraction (IPA /ɪnˈfɹakʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #32,865 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for infraction, with forms such as "ifnraction", "inffraction", and "infracction". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "interaction", "inaction", "infection", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French infraction, from Latin infractio, from infractum, past participle of infringere, from in (“in”) + frangere (“to break”). The correct English form is infraction, spelled I-N-F-R-A-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A minor offence, petty crime.
  2. 2
    A violation; breach.
  3. 3
    A major violation of rules which leads to a penalty, if detected by the referee.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how infraction appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Even stealing a pack of gum is an infraction in the eyes of the law.
  2. Pretending a litterbug and a spree killer have committed equivalent infractions doesn’t make people safer.

Etymology

From Middle French infraction, from Latin infractio, from infractum, past participle of infringere, from in (“in”) + frangere (“to break”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ifnraction
  • inffraction
  • infracction
  • infraciton
  • infracsion
  • infractino
  • infractionn
  • infractoin
  • infracttion
  • infratcion
  • infrcation
  • infrraction
  • innfraction
  • inrfaction
  • nifraction

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of infraction - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ifnraction2inffraction1infracction1infraciton2infracsion1infractino2infractionn1infractoin2
Edit distance from "infraction"

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

How do you spell "infraction"?
"infraction" is spelled I-N-F-R-A-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈfɹakʃən/.
What does "infraction" mean?
As a noun, "infraction" means: A minor offence, petty crime.
What words are commonly confused with "infraction"?
"infraction" is commonly confused with "interaction", "inaction", "infection". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "infraction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "infraction" is /ɪnˈfɹakʃən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "infraction"?
From Middle French infraction, from Latin infractio, from infractum, past participle of infringere, from in (“in”) + frangere (“to break”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "infraction", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list