obsession

/əbˈsɛʃən/

//əbˈsɛʃən// noun

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

"obsession" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“obsession” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,324 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,324
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The quality of being obsessed.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

obsession vs obsessive
78% similar

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

Key facts for obsession
PropertyValue
Headwordobsession
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əbˈsɛʃən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#8,324
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obsession” 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). obsession 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 obsession is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əbˈsɛʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,324 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 obsession, with forms such as "bosession", "obbsession", and "obesssion". 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, "obsessive", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin obsessio (“a besieging”), from obsidere (“to besiege”); see obsess. Equivalent to obsess + -ion. The correct English form is obsession, spelled O-B-S-E-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality of being obsessed.
  2. 2
    An idea that engenders a compulsive or irrational preoccupation, or the preoccupation thereby engendered.
  3. 3
    An activity or entity that inspires a compulsive and potentially unhealthy fixation, or the fixation thereby inspired.
  4. 4
    Influence or control by evil spirits without possession.

Etymology

From Latin obsessio (“a besieging”), from obsidere (“to besiege”); see obsess. Equivalent to obsess + -ion.

This word in other languages

obsesión(Español)idée fixe(Français)fixe Idee(Deutsch)obsessão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bosession,obbsession,obesssion,obsesion,obsesison,obsessino,obsessionn,obsessoin,obsestion,obssesion,obssession,osbession

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bosession2obbsession1obesssion2obsesion1obsesison2obsessino2obsessionn1obsessoin2
Edit distance from "obsession"

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 "obsession"?
"obsession" is spelled O-B-S-E-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈsɛʃən/.
What does "obsession" mean?
As a noun, "obsession" means: The quality of being obsessed.
What words are commonly confused with "obsession"?
"obsession" is commonly confused with "obsessive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "obsession"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obsession" is /əbˈsɛʃən/. 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 "obsession"?
From Latin obsessio (“a besieging”), from obsidere (“to besiege”); see obsess. Equivalent to obsess + -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 “obsession”

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

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