invasion

/ɪnˈveɪʒən/

//ɪnˈveɪʒən// noun

"invasion" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“invasion” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,865 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,865
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A military action consisting of a large armed force of one geopolitical entity entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of conquering territory or altering...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

invasion vs invasive
75% similar
invasion vs inversion
78% similar
invasion vs infusion
75% similar

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

Key facts for invasion
PropertyValue
Headwordinvasion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈveɪʒən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#4,865
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “invasion” 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). invasion 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 invasion is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈveɪʒən/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,865 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for invasion, with forms such as "inavsion", "innvasion", and "invaison". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "invasive", "inversion", "infusion", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French invasion, from Late Latin invāsiōnem, accusative of invāsiō. The correct English form is invasion, spelled I-N-V-A-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A military action consisting of a large armed force of one geopolitical entity entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of conquering territory or altering the established government.
  2. 2
    The entry without consent of an individual or group into an area where they are not wanted.
  3. 3
    The spread of cancer cells, bacteria and such to the organism.
  4. 4
    The breaching of the skin barrier.

Etymology

From Middle French invasion, from Late Latin invāsiōnem, accusative of invāsiō.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inavsion,innvasion,invaison,invasino,invasionn,invasoin,invassion,invation,invsaion,invvasion,ivnasion,nivasion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of invasion - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

inavsion2innvasion1invaison2invasino2invasionn1invasoin2invassion1invation1
Edit distance from "invasion"

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 "invasion"?
"invasion" is spelled I-N-V-A-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈveɪʒən/.
What does "invasion" mean?
As a noun, "invasion" means: A military action consisting of a large armed force of one geopolitical entity entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of conquering territory or altering...
What words are commonly confused with "invasion"?
"invasion" is commonly confused with "invasive", "inversion", "infusion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "invasion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "invasion" is /ɪnˈveɪʒən/. 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 "invasion"?
From Middle French invasion, from Late Latin invāsiōnem, accusative of invāsiō. 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 “invasion”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-V-A-S-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈveɪʒən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “invasive” - see the side-by-side comparison. invasion vs invasive
  • 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