oppression

/əˈpɹɛʃən/

//əˈpɹɛʃən// noun

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

"oppression" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“oppression” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,788 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,788
frequency rank, English
10
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

oppression vs oppressor
80% similar
oppression vs oppressive
80% similar

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

Key facts for oppression
PropertyValue
Headwordoppression
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈpɹɛʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#9,788
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “oppression” 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). oppression 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 oppression is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈpɹɛʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,788 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 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 oppression, with forms such as "opperssion", "oppresion", and "oppresison". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "oppressor", "oppressive", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English oppression, from Old French oppression, from Latin oppressiō (“a pressing down, violence, oppression”), from opprimō; see oppress. The correct English form is oppression, spelled O-P-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
  2. 2
    The act of oppressing, or the state of being oppressed.
  3. 3
    A feeling of being oppressed. Special usage may include a sense of heaviness or obstruction in the body or mind; depression; dullness; lassitude.

Etymology

From Middle English oppression, from Old French oppression, from Latin oppressiō (“a pressing down, violence, oppression”), from opprimō; see oppress.

This word in other languages

opresión(Español)oppression(Français)Unterdrückung(Deutsch)opressão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opperssion,oppresion,oppresison,oppressino,oppressionn,oppressoin,opprestion,opprression,opprsesion,opression,oprpession,popression

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opperssion2oppresion1oppresison2oppressino2oppressionn1oppressoin2opprestion1opprression1
Edit distance from "oppression"

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 "oppression"?
"oppression" is spelled O-P-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpɹɛʃən/.
What does "oppression" mean?
As a noun, "oppression" means: The exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
What words are commonly confused with "oppression"?
"oppression" is commonly confused with "oppressor", "oppressive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "oppression"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "oppression" is /əˈpɹɛʃən/. 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 "oppression"?
From Middle English oppression, from Old French oppression, from Latin oppressiō (“a pressing down, violence, oppression”), from opprimō; see oppress. 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 “oppression”

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

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