prohibition

/ˌpɹəʊ(h)ɪˈbɪʃən/

//ˌpɹəʊ(h)ɪˈbɪʃən// noun

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

"prohibition" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prohibition” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,111 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,111
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An act of prohibiting, forbidding, disallowing, or proscribing something.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prohibition vs prohibitive
82% similar

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

Key facts for prohibition
PropertyValue
Headwordprohibition
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpɹəʊ(h)ɪˈbɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#10,111
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prohibition” 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). prohibition 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 prohibition is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌpɹəʊ(h)ɪˈbɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,111 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for prohibition, with forms such as "porhibition", "pprohibition", and "prhoibition". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "prohibitive", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman and Old French prohibicion, from Latin prohibitiō. By surface analysis, prohibit + -ion. The correct English form is prohibition, spelled P-R-O-H-I-B-I-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An act of prohibiting, forbidding, disallowing, or proscribing something.
  2. 2
    A law prohibiting the manufacture or sale of alcohol.
  3. 3
    A period of time when specific socially disapproved consumables are considered controlled substances.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman and Old French prohibicion, from Latin prohibitiō. By surface analysis, prohibit + -ion.

Synonyms

forbode

Antonyms

permission

This word in other languages

prohibición(Español)prohibition(Français)Verbot(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: porhibition,pprohibition,prhoibition,prohbiition,prohhibition,prohibbition,prohibiiton,prohibision,prohibitino,prohibitionn,prohibitoin,prohibittion,prohibtiion,prohiibtion,proihbition,prrohibition,rpohibition

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porhibition2pprohibition1prhoibition2prohbiition2prohhibition1prohibbition1prohibiiton2prohibision1
Edit distance from "prohibition"

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 "prohibition"?
"prohibition" is spelled P-R-O-H-I-B-I-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɹəʊ(h)ɪˈbɪʃən/.
What does "prohibition" mean?
As a noun, "prohibition" means: An act of prohibiting, forbidding, disallowing, or proscribing something.
What words are commonly confused with "prohibition"?
"prohibition" is commonly confused with "prohibitive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prohibition"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prohibition" is /ˌpɹəʊ(h)ɪˈbɪʃən/. 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 "prohibition"?
From Anglo-Norman and Old French prohibicion, from Latin prohibitiō. By surface analysis, prohibit + -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 “prohibition”

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

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