prosecution

/ˌpɹɒs.ɪˈkjuː.ʃən/

//ˌpɹɒs.ɪˈkjuː.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“prosecution” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,505 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,505
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of prosecuting a scheme or endeavor.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prosecution vs protection
82% similar
prosecution vs prosecutor
82% similar
prosecution vs projection
82% similar

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

Key facts for prosecution
PropertyValue
Headwordprosecution
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpɹɒs.ɪˈkjuː.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#6,505
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prosecution” 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). prosecution 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 prosecution is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌpɹɒs.ɪˈkjuː.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,505 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 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 prosecution, with forms such as "porsecution", "pprosecution", and "proescution". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "protection", "prosecutor", "projection", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Equivalent to prosecute + -ion, from Middle French prosecution, from Late Latin prōsecutio, from Latin prōsequor (“follow, pursue”), from pro- (“onward”) + sequor (“follow”) (English sequel). Compare persecution, and see more at prosecute. The correct English form is prosecution, spelled P-R-O-S-E-C-U-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of prosecuting a scheme or endeavor.
  2. 2
    The institution of legal proceedings (particularly criminal) against a person.
  3. 3
    The prosecuting party.
  4. 4
    In many countries, a legal body and institution, usually part of the state apparatus, empowered to perform prosecution. Prosecutor's Office. See Prosecutor.

Etymology

Equivalent to prosecute + -ion, from Middle French prosecution, from Late Latin prōsecutio, from Latin prōsequor (“follow, pursue”), from pro- (“onward”) + sequor (“follow”) (English sequel). Compare persecution, and see more at prosecute.

This word in other languages

acusación(Español)parquet(Français)Verfolgung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: porsecution,pprosecution,proescution,prosceution,proseccution,prosectuion,prosecuiton,prosecusion,prosecutino,prosecutionn,prosecutoin,prosecuttion,proseuction,prossecution,prrosecution,prsoecution,rposecution

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porsecution2pprosecution1proescution2prosceution2proseccution1prosectuion2prosecuiton2prosecusion1
Edit distance from "prosecution"

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 "prosecution"?
"prosecution" is spelled P-R-O-S-E-C-U-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɹɒs.ɪˈkjuː.ʃən/.
What does "prosecution" mean?
As a noun, "prosecution" means: The act of prosecuting a scheme or endeavor.
What words are commonly confused with "prosecution"?
"prosecution" is commonly confused with "protection", "prosecutor", "projection". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prosecution"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prosecution" is /ˌpɹɒs.ɪˈkjuː.ʃən/. 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 "prosecution"?
Equivalent to prosecute + -ion, from Middle French prosecution, from Late Latin prōsecutio, from Latin prōsequor (“follow, pursue”), from pro- (“onward”) + sequor (“follow”) (English sequel). Compare persecution, and see more at prosecute. 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 “prosecution”

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

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