portion

/ˈpoɹʃən/

//ˈpoɹʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“portion” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,848 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,848
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An allocated amount.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

portion vs Porto
57% similar
portion vs potion
86% similar
portion vs Portman
57% similar

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

Key facts for portion
PropertyValue
Headwordportion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpoɹʃən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,848
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “portion” 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). portion 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 portion is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpoɹʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,848 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 portion, with forms such as "oprtion", "poriton", and "porrtion". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "Porto", "potion", "Portman", 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 porcioun, borrowed from Old French porcion, from Latin portio (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion. The correct English form is portion, spelled P-O-R-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An allocated amount.
  2. 2
    That which is divided off or separated, as a part from a whole; a separated part of anything.
  3. 3
    One's fate; lot.
  4. 4
    The part of an estate given or falling to a child or heir; an inheritance.
  5. 5
    A wife's fortune; a dowry.

Etymology

From Middle English porcioun, borrowed from Old French porcion, from Latin portio (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion.

This word in other languages

porción(Español)part(Français)Teil(Deutsch)porção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oprtion,poriton,porrtion,porsion,portino,portionn,portoin,porttion,potrion,pportion,protion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

oprtion2poriton2porrtion1porsion1portino2portionn1portoin2porttion1
Edit distance from "portion"

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 "portion"?
"portion" is spelled P-O-R-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpoɹʃən/.
What does "portion" mean?
As a noun, "portion" means: An allocated amount.
What words are commonly confused with "portion"?
"portion" is commonly confused with "Porto", "potion", "Portman". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "portion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "portion" is /ˈpoɹʃən/. 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 "portion"?
From Middle English porcioun, borrowed from Old French porcion, from Latin portio (“a share, part, portion, relation, proportion”), akin to pars (“part”); see part. Compare proportion. 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 “portion”

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

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