occlusion

/əˈkluː.ʒən/

//əˈkluː.ʒən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“occlusion” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #39,464 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#39,464
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The process of occluding, or something that occludes.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

occlusion vs occasion
78% similar

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

Key facts for occlusion
PropertyValue
Headwordocclusion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈkluː.ʒən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#39,464
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “occlusion” 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). occlusion 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 occlusion is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈkluː.ʒən/. Corpus data places it at rank #39,464 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 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 occlusion, with forms such as "coclusion", "occllusion", and "occlsuion". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "occasion", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin occlūsiō, occlūsiōnis (“occluding, obstruction”), from the Classical Latin occlūdō (“I shut up or close up; I restrain”), from ob + claudō (“I shut or close”). The correct English form is occlusion, spelled O-C-C-L-U-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The process of occluding, or something that occludes.
  2. 2
    Anything that obstructs or closes a vessel or canal.
  3. 3
    The alignment of the teeth when upper and lower jaws are brought together.
  4. 4
    An occluded front.
  5. 5
    A closure within the vocal tract that produces an oral stop or nasal stop.
  6. 6
    The absorption of a gas or liquid by a substance such as a metal.
  7. 7
    The blocking of the view of part of an image by another.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin occlūsiō, occlūsiōnis (“occluding, obstruction”), from the Classical Latin occlūdō (“I shut up or close up; I restrain”), from ob + claudō (“I shut or close”).

This word in other languages

oclusión(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: coclusion,occllusion,occlsuion,occluison,occlusino,occlusionn,occlusoin,occlussion,occlution,occulsion,oclcusion,oclusion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

coclusion2occllusion1occlsuion2occluison2occlusino2occlusionn1occlusoin2occlussion1
Edit distance from "occlusion"

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 "occlusion"?
"occlusion" is spelled O-C-C-L-U-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈkluː.ʒən/.
What does "occlusion" mean?
As a noun, "occlusion" means: The process of occluding, or something that occludes.
What words are commonly confused with "occlusion"?
"occlusion" is commonly confused with "occasion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "occlusion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "occlusion" is /əˈkluː.ʒən/. 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 "occlusion"?
Borrowed from Late Latin occlūsiō, occlūsiōnis (“occluding, obstruction”), from the Classical Latin occlūdō (“I shut up or close up; I restrain”), from ob + claudō (“I shut or close”). 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 “occlusion”

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

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