obstruction

/əbˈstɹʌk.ʃən/

//əbˈstɹʌk.ʃən// noun

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

"obstruction" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“obstruction” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,968. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,968
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
18
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of obstructing, or state of being obstructed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-obstruction · obstruction · English

obstruction · rank #13,968 · 18 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #13,968
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH nu

Nearest frequency peer: nu (-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 “obstruction”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “obstruction” 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).

obstruction vs obstructive
82% similar

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

Key facts for obstruction
PropertyValue
Headwordobstruction
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əbˈstɹʌk.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#13,968
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “obstruction”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).obstructionlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “nu” (#13,967), “odyssey” (#13,969), “om” (#13,970). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “obstruction” is #13,968. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around obstruction (IPA /əbˈstɹʌk.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #13,968 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for obstruction, with forms such as "bostruction", "obbstruction", and "obsrtuction". 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, "obstructive", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin obstructio (“hindrance”), from obstruo (“build against, block, stop”). The correct English form is obstruction, spelled O-B-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of obstructing, or state of being obstructed.
  2. 2
    Something which obstructs or impedes, either intentionally or unintentionally
  3. 3
    The condition of having the natural powers obstructed in their usual course; the arrest of the vital functions; death.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The referee stopped play because of an obstruction by the defender.

Etymology

From Latin obstructio (“hindrance”), from obstruo (“build against, block, stop”).

Synonyms

blockhindranceimpedanceroadblockstophindrance

This word in other languages

obstrucción(Español)obstruction(Français)Obstruktion(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bostruction
  • obbstruction
  • obsrtuction
  • obsstruction
  • obstrcution
  • obstrruction
  • obstrucction
  • obstruciton
  • obstrucsion
  • obstructino
  • obstructionn
  • obstructoin
  • obstructtion
  • obstrutcion
  • obsttruction
  • obsturction
  • obtsruction
  • osbtruction

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bostruction2obbstruction1obsrtuction2obsstruction1obstrcution2obstrruction1obstrucction1obstruciton2
Edit distance from "obstruction"

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 "obstruction"?
"obstruction" is spelled O-B-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈstɹʌk.ʃən/.
What does "obstruction" mean?
As a noun, "obstruction" means: The act of obstructing, or state of being obstructed.
What words are commonly confused with "obstruction"?
"obstruction" is commonly confused with "obstructive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "obstruction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obstruction" is /əbˈstɹʌk.ʃən/. 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 "obstruction"?
From Latin obstructio (“hindrance”), from obstruo (“build against, block, stop”). 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 "obstruction", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ministerial#13,960humiliation#13,930retaliation#14,006entitlement#13,912

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

spirituality18 variantsconvertible18 variantsaccreditation18 variantsacquaintance18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list