percussion

/pɚˈkʌʃən/

//pɚˈkʌʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“percussion” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,920 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,920
frequency rank, English
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The collision of two bodies in order to produce a sound.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

percussion vs perfusion
80% similar
percussion vs permission
80% similar
percussion vs persuasion
80% similar

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

Key facts for percussion
PropertyValue
Headwordpercussion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɚˈkʌʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#17,920
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “percussion” 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). percussion 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 percussion is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɚˈkʌʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,920 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 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for percussion, with forms such as "eprcussion", "pecrussion", and "perccussion". 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, "perfusion", "permission", "persuasion", 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 percussioun, from Middle French, Old French percussion, from Latin percussiō (“striking”), from percutiō (“I strike”). The correct English form is percussion, spelled P-E-R-C-U-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The collision of two bodies in order to produce a sound.
  2. 2
    The sound so produced.
  3. 3
    The detonation of a percussion cap in a firearm.
  4. 4
    The tapping of the body as an aid to medical diagnosis.
  5. 5
    The section of an orchestra or band containing percussion instruments; such instruments considered as a group; in bands, may be separate from drum kits.
  6. 6
    The repeated striking of an object to break or shape it, as in percussion drilling.
  7. 7
    The outer side of the hand.

Etymology

From Middle English percussioun, from Middle French, Old French percussion, from Latin percussiō (“striking”), from percutiō (“I strike”).

This word in other languages

percusión(Español)percussion(Français)Perkussion(Deutsch)percussão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eprcussion,pecrussion,perccussion,percsusion,percusion,percusison,percussino,percussionn,percussoin,percustion,perrcussion,perucssion,ppercussion,precussion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eprcussion2pecrussion2perccussion1percsusion2percusion1percusison2percussino2percussionn1
Edit distance from "percussion"

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 "percussion"?
"percussion" is spelled P-E-R-C-U-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /pɚˈkʌʃən/.
What does "percussion" mean?
As a noun, "percussion" means: The collision of two bodies in order to produce a sound.
What words are commonly confused with "percussion"?
"percussion" is commonly confused with "perfusion", "permission", "persuasion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "percussion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "percussion" is /pɚˈkʌʃən/. 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 "percussion"?
From Middle English percussioun, from Middle French, Old French percussion, from Latin percussiō (“striking”), from percutiō (“I strike”). 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 “percussion”

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

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