reprehension

/ˌɹɛpɹɪˈhɛnʃən/

//ˌɹɛpɹɪˈhɛnʃən// noun

"reprehension" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“reprehension” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - the act, or an expression, of criticism, censure or condemnation; reprimand

Corpus desk

Index EN-reprehension · reprehension · English

reprehension · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "R" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for reprehension
PropertyValue
Headwordreprehension
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɹɛpɹɪˈhɛnʃən/
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “reprehension” in English

reprehensionranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

reprehension is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌɹɛpɹɪˈhɛnʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "the act, or an expression, of criticism, censure or condemnation; reprimand".

Zero misspellings are on record for reprehension in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin reprehensio, reprehensionis. The correct English form is reprehension, spelled R-E-P-R-E-H-E-N-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    the act, or an expression, of criticism, censure or condemnation; reprimand

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin reprehensio, reprehensionis.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "reprehension"?
"reprehension" is spelled R-E-P-R-E-H-E-N-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɹɛpɹɪˈhɛnʃən/.
What does "reprehension" mean?
As a noun, "reprehension" means: the act, or an expression, of criticism, censure or condemnation; reprimand
How do you pronounce "reprehension"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reprehension" is /ˌɹɛpɹɪˈhɛnʃən/. 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 "reprehension"?
Borrowed from Latin reprehensio, reprehensionis. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list