institution

/ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/

//ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"institution" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“institution” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,565 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,565
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A custom or practice of a society or community.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

institution vs institutions
92% similar
institution vs institutional
85% similar
institution vs instigation
82% similar

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

Key facts for institution
PropertyValue
Headwordinstitution
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#3,565
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “institution” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). institution lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for institution is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,565 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for institution, with forms such as "innstitution", "insittution", and "insstitution". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "institutions", "institutional", "instigation", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English institucioun, from Old French institution, from Latin institūtiō, from instituō (“to set up”), from in- (“in, on”) + statuō (“to set up, establish”). Equivalent to institute + -ion. The correct English form is institution, spelled I-N-S-T-I-T-U-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A custom or practice of a society or community.
  2. 2
    A long-established organization or type of organization, particularly one involved with education, public service, or charity work.
  3. 3
    The building or buildings which house such an organization.
  4. 4
    A mental institution.
  5. 5
    Any facility where people (especially those who are mentally or physically disabled or sick, or who are prisoners) are committed (confined), where their freedom to leave is restricted.
  6. 6
    Any long established and respected place or business.
  7. 7
    A person long established in a place, position, or field.
  8. 8
    The act of instituting something.
  9. 9
    The act by which a bishop commits a cure of souls to a priest.
  10. 10
    That which institutes or instructs, particularly a textbook or system of elements or rules.
  11. 11
    A correctional institution.

Etymology

From Middle English institucioun, from Old French institution, from Latin institūtiō, from instituō (“to set up”), from in- (“in, on”) + statuō (“to set up, establish”). Equivalent to institute + -ion.

Synonyms

establishment

This word in other languages

institución(Español)institution(Français)Institution(Deutsch)instituição(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: innstitution,insittution,insstitution,instittuion,instittution,instituiton,institusion,institutino,institutionn,institutoin,instituttion,instiuttion,insttitution,insttiution,intsitution,isntitution,nistitution

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

innstitution1insittution2insstitution1instittuion2instittution1instituiton2institusion1institutino2
Edit distance from "institution"

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 "institution"?
"institution" is spelled I-N-S-T-I-T-U-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/.
What does "institution" mean?
As a noun, "institution" means: A custom or practice of a society or community.
What words are commonly confused with "institution"?
"institution" is commonly confused with "institutions", "institutional", "instigation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "institution"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "institution" is /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/. 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 "institution"?
From Middle English institucioun, from Old French institution, from Latin institūtiō, from instituō (“to set up”), from in- (“in, on”) + statuō (“to set up, establish”). Equivalent to institute + -ion. 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.

Using “institution”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-S-T-I-T-U-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɪn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “institutions” - see the side-by-side comparison. institution vs institutions
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list