lotion

/ˈloʊʃən/

//ˈloʊʃən// noun

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

"lotion" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lotion” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,066. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,066
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A low- to medium-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lotion · lotion · English

lotion · rank #16,066 · 9 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,066
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Lola

Nearest frequency peer: Lola (-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 “lotion”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lotion” 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).

lotion vs lotto
67% similar
lotion vs Lovin
50% similar
lotion vs Luton
50% similar

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

Key facts for lotion
PropertyValue
Headwordlotion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈloʊʃən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,066
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lotion”

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).lotionlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Lola” (#16,065), “loch” (#16,064), “Lucia” (#16,068). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lotion” is #16,066. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around lotion (IPA /ˈloʊʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,066 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for lotion, with forms such as "llotion", "loiton", and "losion". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "lotto", "Lovin", "Luton", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English locion, borrowed from Latin lōtiō, lōtiōnem (“a washing”), from lavō (“to wash”); see lave. Doublet of lavation. The correct English form is lotion, spelled L-O-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A low- to medium-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin.
  2. 2
    A washing, especially of the skin for the purpose of beautification.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. sun-tan lotion

Etymology

From Middle English locion, borrowed from Latin lōtiō, lōtiōnem (“a washing”), from lavō (“to wash”); see lave. Doublet of lavation.

Synonyms

lavatory

This word in other languages

loción(Español)lotion(Français)Lotion(Deutsch)loção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • llotion
  • loiton
  • losion
  • lotino
  • lotionn
  • lotoin
  • lottion
  • ltoion
  • oltion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lotion - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

llotion1loiton2losion1lotino2lotionn1lotoin2lottion1ltoion2
Edit distance from "lotion"

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 "lotion"?
"lotion" is spelled L-O-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈloʊʃən/.
What does "lotion" mean?
As a noun, "lotion" means: A low- to medium-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin.
What words are commonly confused with "lotion"?
"lotion" is commonly confused with "lotto", "Lovin", "Luton". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lotion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lotion" is /ˈloʊʃən/. 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 "lotion"?
From Middle English locion, borrowed from Latin lōtiō, lōtiōnem (“a washing”), from lavō (“to wash”); see lave. Doublet of lavation. 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 "lotion", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Kramer#16,059mayhem#16,074nipple#16,081Howell#16,045

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

hideous9 variantsplated9 variantsgreasy9 variantsgadget9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list