occasion

/əˈkeɪʒən/

//əˈkeɪʒən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“occasion” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,771 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,771
frequency rank, English
8
letters
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

occasion vs occasions
89% similar
occasion vs occlusion
78% similar
occasion vs occasional
80% similar

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

Key facts for occasion
PropertyValue
Headwordoccasion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈkeɪʒən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#3,771
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “occasion” 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). occasion 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 occasion is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈkeɪʒən/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,771 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for occasion, with forms such as "cocasion", "ocacsion", and "ocasion". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "occasions", "occlusion", "occasional", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English occasioun, from Middle French occasion, from Old French occasiun, from Latin occāsiōnem, noun of action from perfect passive participle occāsus, from verb occidō, from prefix ob- (“down", "away”) + verb cadō (“fall”). The correct English form is occasion, spelled O-C-C-A-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance.
  2. 2
    The time when something happens.
  3. 3
    An occurrence or state of affairs which causes some event or reaction; a motive or reason.
  4. 4
    Something which causes something else; a cause.
  5. 5
    An occurrence or incident.
  6. 6
    A particular happening; an instance or time when something occurred.
  7. 7
    A need; requirement, necessity.
  8. 8
    A special event or function.
  9. 9
    A reason or excuse; a motive; a persuasion.

Etymology

From Middle English occasioun, from Middle French occasion, from Old French occasiun, from Latin occāsiōnem, noun of action from perfect passive participle occāsus, from verb occidō, from prefix ob- (“down", "away”) + verb cadō (“fall”).

This word in other languages

ocasión(Español)occasion(Français)Gelegenheit(Deutsch)ocasião(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cocasion,ocacsion,ocasion,occaison,occasino,occasionn,occasoin,occassion,occation,occsaion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cocasion2ocacsion2ocasion1occaison2occasino2occasionn1occasoin2occassion1
Edit distance from "occasion"

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 "occasion"?
"occasion" is spelled O-C-C-A-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈkeɪʒən/.
What does "occasion" mean?
As a noun, "occasion" means: A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance.
What words are commonly confused with "occasion"?
"occasion" is commonly confused with "occasions", "occlusion", "occasional". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "occasion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "occasion" is /əˈkeɪʒən/. 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 "occasion"?
From Middle English occasioun, from Middle French occasion, from Old French occasiun, from Latin occāsiōnem, noun of action from perfect passive participle occāsus, from verb occidō, from prefix ob- (“down", "away”) + verb cadō (“fall”). 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 “occasion”

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

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