mission

/ˈmɪʃ.ən/

//ˈmɪʃ.ən// noun

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

"mission" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mission” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,430 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,430
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A set of tasks that fulfills a purpose or duty; an assignment set by an employer, or by oneself.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mission vs missions
88% similar
mission vs minion
71% similar
mission vs million
71% similar

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

Key facts for mission
PropertyValue
Headwordmission
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪʃ.ən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,430
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mission” 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). mission 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 mission is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɪʃ.ən/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,430 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 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for mission, with forms such as "imssion", "mision", and "misison". 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, "missions", "minion", "million", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin missiō, missiōnem (“a sending, sending away, dispatching, discharging, release, remission, cessation”). The correct English form is mission, spelled M-I-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A set of tasks that fulfills a purpose or duty; an assignment set by an employer, or by oneself.
  2. 2
    A important goal or purpose; an objective.
  3. 3
    A missionary expedition.
  4. 4
    Third World charities, particularly those which preach as well as provide aid.
  5. 5
    An infrequent gathering of religious believers in a parish, usually part of a larger regional event with a central theme.
  6. 6
    A number of people appointed to perform any service; a delegation; an embassy.
  7. 7
    Dismissal; discharge from service
  8. 8
    A settlement or building serving as a base for missionary work.
  9. 9
    An settlement predominantly inhabited by Indigenous Australians living in housing commission.
  10. 10
    A drug run.
  11. 11
    An ordeal; an difficult, trying task.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin missiō, missiōnem (“a sending, sending away, dispatching, discharging, release, remission, cessation”).

This word in other languages

misión(Español)mission(Français)Auftrag(Deutsch)missão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: imssion,mision,misison,missino,missionn,missoin,mistion,mmission,msision

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of mission - 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.

imssion2mision1misison2missino2missionn1missoin2mistion1mmission1
Edit distance from "mission"

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 "mission"?
"mission" is spelled M-I-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪʃ.ən/.
What does "mission" mean?
As a noun, "mission" means: A set of tasks that fulfills a purpose or duty; an assignment set by an employer, or by oneself.
What words are commonly confused with "mission"?
"mission" is commonly confused with "missions", "minion", "million". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mission"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mission" is /ˈmɪʃ.ən/. 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 "mission"?
Learned borrowing from Latin missiō, missiōnem (“a sending, sending away, dispatching, discharging, release, remission, cessation”). 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 “mission”

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

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