orison

/ˈɒɹɪsən/

//ˈɒɹɪsən// noun

"orison" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“orison” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A prayer.

Corpus desk

Index EN-orison · orison · English

orison · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "O" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for orison
PropertyValue
Headwordorison
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɒɹɪsən/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “orison” in English

orisonsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

orison is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɒɹɪsən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for orison, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English orisoun, from Anglo-Norman oreison, oresoun etc. and Old French oraisun etc., from Latin ōrātiō, ōrātiōnem (“discourse, prayer”) (whence also English oration). The correct English form is orison, spelled O-R-I-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A prayer.
  2. 2
    Mystical contemplation or communion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The faire Ophelia! Nymph, in thy Orizons / Be all my ſinnes remembred.
  2. "I hope," said a voice by her side, "your absent brother will not engross all your orisons."

Etymology

From Middle English orisoun, from Anglo-Norman oreison, oresoun etc. and Old French oraisun etc., from Latin ōrātiō, ōrātiōnem (“discourse, prayer”) (whence also English oration).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "orison"?
"orison" is spelled O-R-I-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒɹɪsən/.
What does "orison" mean?
As a noun, "orison" means: A prayer.
How do you pronounce "orison"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "orison" is /ˈɒɹɪsən/. 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 "orison"?
From Middle English orisoun, from Anglo-Norman oreison, oresoun etc. and Old French oraisun etc., from Latin ōrātiō, ōrātiōnem (“discourse, prayer”) (whence also English oration). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list