possession

/pəˈzɛʃn̩/

//pəˈzɛʃn̩// noun

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

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

The verdict

“possession” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,777 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,777
frequency rank, English
10
letters
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A control or occupancy of something for which one does not necessarily have private property rights.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

possession vs possessor
80% similar
possession vs possessive
80% similar
possession vs possessions
91% similar

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

Key facts for possession
PropertyValue
Headwordpossession
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pəˈzɛʃn̩/
Letters10
Frequency rank#3,777
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “possession” 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). possession 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 possession is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pəˈzɛʃn̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,777 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 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 possession, with forms such as "opssession", "posession", and "posesssion". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "possessor", "possessive", "possessions", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin possessiō, possessiōnis. Equivalent to possess + -ion. The correct English form is possession, spelled P-O-S-S-E-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A control or occupancy of something for which one does not necessarily have private property rights.
  2. 2
    Something that is owned.
  3. 3
    An ownership; a taking, a holding, keeping something as one's own.
  4. 4
    A territory under the rule of another country.
  5. 5
    The condition or affliction of being possessed by a demon or other supernatural entity.
  6. 6
    The condition of being under the control of strong emotion or madness.
  7. 7
    A control of the ball; the opportunity to be on the offensive.
  8. 8
    A disposal of the ball during a game, i.e. a kick or a handball.
  9. 9
    A syntactic relationship between two nouns or nominals that may be used to indicate ownership.

Etymology

From Latin possessiō, possessiōnis. Equivalent to possess + -ion.

This word in other languages

posesión(Español)bien(Français)Gut(Deutsch)invasão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opssession,posession,posesssion,possesion,possesison,possessino,possessionn,possessoin,possestion,posssesion,ppossession,psosession

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of possession - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

opssession2posession1posesssion2possesion1possesison2possessino2possessionn1possessoin2
Edit distance from "possession"

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 "possession"?
"possession" is spelled P-O-S-S-E-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈzɛʃn̩/.
What does "possession" mean?
As a noun, "possession" means: A control or occupancy of something for which one does not necessarily have private property rights.
What words are commonly confused with "possession"?
"possession" is commonly confused with "possessor", "possessive", "possessions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "possession"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "possession" is /pəˈzɛʃn̩/. 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 "possession"?
From Latin possessiō, possessiōnis. Equivalent to possess + -ion. 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 “possession”

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

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