# possum

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɒsəm/ · frequency rank #31,297

## Definitions
1. An opossum, a marsupial of the family Didelphidae of the Americas.
2. Any of the marsupials in several families of the order Diprotodontia of Australia and neighboring islands.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Algonquian *wa·p-
Proto-Algonquian *aθemwa
Proto-Algonquian *wa·p-aʔθemwa
Powhatan aposoumbor.
English opossumder.
English possum
Derived from opossum by apheresis.

## Easily confused with
- **posse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-possum)
- **podium** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/podium-vs-possum)

## Common misspellings (7)
`opssum`, `possmu`, `possumm`, `posum`, `posusm`, `ppossum`, `psosum`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/possum