reflection

/ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/

//ɹɪˈflɛkʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“reflection” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,447. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,447
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reflection · reflection · English

reflection · rank #5,447 · 16 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,447
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rat

Nearest frequency peer: rat (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “reflection”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “reflection” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

reflection vs rejection
80% similar
reflection vs reflector
80% similar
reflection vs resection
80% similar

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

Key facts for reflection
PropertyValue
Headwordreflection
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#5,447
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reflection”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).reflectionlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “rat” (#5,446), “reminded” (#5,448), “propaganda” (#5,445). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reflection” is #5,447. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around reflection (IPA /ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,447 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for reflection, with forms such as "erflection", "refelction", and "refflection". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "rejection", "reflector", "resection", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French reflexion, reflection, and its source Late Latin reflexio, from the participle stem of reflectō. The current spelling is influenced by reflect. Equivalent to reflect + -ion. The correct English form is reflection, spelled R-E-F-L-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.
  2. 2
    The property of a propagated wave being thrown back from a surface (such as a mirror).
  3. 3
    Something, such as an image, that is reflected.
  4. 4
    Careful thought or consideration.
  5. 5
    A representative manifestation or outcome of a condition, trend or trait.
  6. 6
    A representative manifestation or outcome of a condition, trend or trait.
  7. 7
    The process or mechanism of determining the capabilities of an object at run-time.
  8. 8
    The folding of a part; a fold.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how reflection appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The dog barked at his own reflection in the mirror.
  2. A body of black that carried no reflection.

Etymology

From Middle French reflexion, reflection, and its source Late Latin reflexio, from the participle stem of reflectō. The current spelling is influenced by reflect. Equivalent to reflect + -ion.

This word in other languages

reflexión(Español)réflexion(Français)Reflexion(Deutsch)reflexão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erflection
  • refelction
  • refflection
  • reflcetion
  • reflecction
  • refleciton
  • reflecsion
  • reflectino
  • reflectionn
  • reflectoin
  • reflecttion
  • refletcion
  • refllection
  • relfection
  • rfelection
  • rreflection

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of reflection - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

erflection2refelction2refflection1reflcetion2reflecction1refleciton2reflecsion1reflectino2
Edit distance from "reflection"

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 "reflection"?
"reflection" is spelled R-E-F-L-E-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/.
What does "reflection" mean?
As a noun, "reflection" means: The act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.
What words are commonly confused with "reflection"?
"reflection" is commonly confused with "rejection", "reflector", "resection". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reflection"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reflection" is /ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/. 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 "reflection"?
From Middle French reflexion, reflection, and its source Late Latin reflexio, from the participle stem of reflectō. The current spelling is influenced by reflect. Equivalent to reflect + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "reflection", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

propaganda#5,445mysterious#5,440substitute#5,455underlying#5,464

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

controlling16 variantscompliance16 variantslegislature16 variantsstructural16 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list