proportion

/pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/

//pɹəˈpɔɹʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“proportion” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,002 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,002
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

proportion vs proposition
82% similar
proportion vs proportions
91% similar
proportion vs proportional
83% similar

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

Key facts for proportion
PropertyValue
Headwordproportion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#6,002
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “proportion” 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). proportion 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 proportion is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,002 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for proportion, with forms such as "porportion", "pproportion", and "prooprtion". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "proposition", "proportions", "proportional", 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 proporcion, from Old French proportion, from Latin prōportiō (“comparative relation, proportion, symmetry, analogy”), from pro (“for, before”) + portio (“share, part”); see portion. The correct English form is proportion, spelled P-R-O-P-O-R-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number.
  2. 2
    Harmonious relation of parts to each other or to the whole.
  3. 3
    Proper or equal share.
  4. 4
    The relation of one part to another or to the whole with respect to magnitude, quantity, or degree.
  5. 5
    A statement of equality between two ratios.
  6. 6
    The "rule of three", in which three terms are given to find a fourth.
  7. 7
    Size.

Etymology

From Middle English proporcion, from Old French proportion, from Latin prōportiō (“comparative relation, proportion, symmetry, analogy”), from pro (“for, before”) + portio (“share, part”); see portion.

This word in other languages

proporción(Español)proportion(Français)Teil(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: porportion,pproportion,prooprtion,proporiton,proporrtion,proporsion,proportino,proportionn,proportoin,proporttion,propotrion,propportion,proprotion,prpoortion,prroportion,rpoportion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porportion2pproportion1prooprtion2proporiton2proporrtion1proporsion1proportino2proportionn1
Edit distance from "proportion"

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 "proportion"?
"proportion" is spelled P-R-O-P-O-R-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/.
What does "proportion" mean?
As a noun, "proportion" means: A quantity of something that is part of the whole amount or number.
What words are commonly confused with "proportion"?
"proportion" is commonly confused with "proposition", "proportions", "proportional". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "proportion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "proportion" is /pɹəˈpɔɹʃən/. 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 "proportion"?
From Middle English proporcion, from Old French proportion, from Latin prōportiō (“comparative relation, proportion, symmetry, analogy”), from pro (“for, before”) + portio (“share, part”); see portion. 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 “proportion”

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

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