pension

/ˈpɛnʃən/

//ˈpɛnʃən// noun

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

"pension" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pension” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,969 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,969
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An annuity paid regularly as benefit due to a retired employee, serviceman etc. in consideration of past services, originally and chiefly by a government but also by various private pension schemes.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pension vs person
71% similar
pension vs pinion
71% similar
pension vs Persian
57% similar

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

Key facts for pension
PropertyValue
Headwordpension
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɛnʃən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#4,969
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pension” 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). pension 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 pension is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɛnʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,969 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for pension, with forms such as "epnsion", "penison", and "pennsion". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "person", "pinion", "Persian", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English pencioun, pensioun, from Anglo-Norman pencione, Old French pencion, and their source, Latin pēnsiō (“payment, weight, rent, compensation”), from the participle stem of pendō (“to weigh”). The correct English form is pension, spelled P-E-N-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An annuity paid regularly as benefit due to a retired employee, serviceman etc. in consideration of past services, originally and chiefly by a government but also by various private pension schemes.
  2. 2
    A wage or fee.
  3. 3
    A charge or expense of some kind; a tax.
  4. 4
    A sum paid to a clergyman in place of tithes.
  5. 5
    A regular allowance paid to support a royal favourite, or as patronage of an artist or scholar.

Etymology

From Middle English pencioun, pensioun, from Anglo-Norman pencione, Old French pencion, and their source, Latin pēnsiō (“payment, weight, rent, compensation”), from the participle stem of pendō (“to weigh”).

Synonyms

superannuationrent

This word in other languages

pensión(Español)pension(Français)Pension(Deutsch)pensão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epnsion,penison,pennsion,pensino,pensionn,pensoin,penssion,pention,pesnion,pnesion,ppension

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epnsion2penison2pennsion1pensino2pensionn1pensoin2penssion1pention1
Edit distance from "pension"

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 "pension"?
"pension" is spelled P-E-N-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛnʃən/.
What does "pension" mean?
As a noun, "pension" means: An annuity paid regularly as benefit due to a retired employee, serviceman etc. in consideration of past services, originally and chiefly by a government but also by various private pension schemes.
What words are commonly confused with "pension"?
"pension" is commonly confused with "person", "pinion", "Persian". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pension"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pension" is /ˈpɛnʃən/. 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 "pension"?
From Middle English pencioun, pensioun, from Anglo-Norman pencione, Old French pencion, and their source, Latin pēnsiō (“payment, weight, rent, compensation”), from the participle stem of pendō (“to weigh”). 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 “pension”

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

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