Napoleon

/nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/

//nəˈpəʊ.li.ən// name

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

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

The verdict

“Napoleon” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,091. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,091
frequency rank, English
24,391
“N” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), a French military commander and political leader.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Napoleon vs Napoleonic
80% similar

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

Key facts for Napoleon
PropertyValue
HeadwordNapoleon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#10,091
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Napoleon” 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). Napoleon lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around Napoleon (IPA /nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #10,091 among 24,391 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 13 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Napoleon, with forms such as "anpoleon", "naopleon", and "naploeon". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Napoleonic", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French Napoléon, from Italian Napoleone, name of an early saint, of uncertain origin; possibly from the Germanic clan name Nibelung. By folk etymology explained as Napoli (“Naples”) + leone (“lion”). The correct English form is Napoleon, spelled N-A-P-O-L-E-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), a French military commander and political leader.
  2. 2
    A male given name from Italian sometimes given in honor of the French emperor.
  3. 3
    A village in Silesia, Poland.
  4. 4
    A number of places in the United States:
  5. 5
    A number of places in the United States:
  6. 6
    A number of places in the United States:
  7. 7
    A number of places in the United States:
  8. 8
    A number of places in the United States:
  9. 9
    A number of places in the United States:
  10. 10
    A number of places in the United States:
  11. 11
    A number of places in the United States:
  12. 12
    A number of places in the United States:
  13. 13
    A surname.

Etymology

From French Napoléon, from Italian Napoleone, name of an early saint, of uncertain origin; possibly from the Germanic clan name Nibelung. By folk etymology explained as Napoli (“Naples”) + leone (“lion”).

This word in other languages

Napoleón(Español)Napoléon(Français)Napoleon(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • anpoleon
  • naopleon
  • naploeon
  • napoelon
  • napoleno
  • napoleonn
  • napolleon
  • napoloen
  • nappoleon
  • nnapoleon
  • npaoleon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

anpoleon2naopleon2naploeon2napoelon2napoleno2napoleonn1napolleon1napoloen2
Edit distance from "Napoleon"

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 "Napoleon"?
"Napoleon" is spelled N-A-P-O-L-E-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/.
What does "Napoleon" mean?
As a proper noun, "Napoleon" means: Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), a French military commander and political leader.
What words are commonly confused with "Napoleon"?
"Napoleon" is commonly confused with "Napoleonic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Napoleon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Napoleon" is /nəˈpəʊ.li.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 "Napoleon"?
From French Napoléon, from Italian Napoleone, name of an early saint, of uncertain origin; possibly from the Germanic clan name Nibelung. By folk etymology explained as Napoli (“Naples”) + leone (“lion”). 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 “Napoleon”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-A-P-O-L-E-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /nəˈpəʊ.li.ən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Napoleonic” - see the side-by-side comparison. Napoleon vs Napoleonic
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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