restriction

/ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən/

//ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“restriction” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,269. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,269
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
18
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-restriction · restriction · English

restriction · rank #10,269 · 18 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,269
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH recycling

Nearest frequency peer: recycling (-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 “restriction”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “restriction” 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).

restriction vs retraction
82% similar
restriction vs restrictive
82% similar
restriction vs restrictions
92% similar

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

Key facts for restriction
PropertyValue
Headwordrestriction
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#10,269
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “restriction”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).restrictionlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “recycling” (#10,268), “resumed” (#10,270), “reckon” (#10,267). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “restriction” is #10,269. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around restriction (IPA /ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,269 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for restriction, with forms such as "erstriction", "resrtiction", and "resstriction". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "retraction", "restrictive", "restrictions", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English restriccioun, from Anglo-Norman restriction, Middle French restriction, and their source, Late Latin restrictiō, from Latin restringō. Morphologically restrict + -ion. The correct English form is restriction, spelled R-E-S-T-R-I-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of restricting, or the state of being restricted.
  2. 2
    A regulation or limitation that restricts.
  3. 3
    The mechanism by which a cell degrades foreign DNA material.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In the year 1819, Sir Robert Peel brought in a bill, and which finally passed both houses, and received the royal assent on the 2nd July, for continuing the restrictions contained in several acts of parliament, on payments in cash by the bank of England, until the 1st day of May, 1823, and to provide for the gradual resumption of cash payments: [...] VIII…
  2. Echinorhagata is likewise supported by typical echinoderid autapomorphies, inclusive the number of trichoscalids that is reduced from 14 to 6; restriction of lateral accessory spines to females only; and an apparent restriction of the middorsal spines to appear only on segments 4 to 8.

Etymology

From Middle English restriccioun, from Anglo-Norman restriction, Middle French restriction, and their source, Late Latin restrictiō, from Latin restringō. Morphologically restrict + -ion.

This word in other languages

restricción(Español)restriction(Français)Beschränkung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erstriction
  • resrtiction
  • resstriction
  • restirction
  • restrcition
  • restricction
  • restriciton
  • restricsion
  • restrictino
  • restrictionn
  • restrictoin
  • restricttion
  • restritcion
  • restrriction
  • resttriction
  • retsriction
  • rrestriction
  • rsetriction

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erstriction2resrtiction2resstriction1restirction2restrcition2restricction1restriciton2restricsion1
Edit distance from "restriction"

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 "restriction"?
"restriction" is spelled R-E-S-T-R-I-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən/.
What does "restriction" mean?
As a noun, "restriction" means: The act of restricting, or the state of being restricted.
What words are commonly confused with "restriction"?
"restriction" is commonly confused with "retraction", "restrictive", "restrictions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "restriction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "restriction" is /ɹɪˈstɹɪkʃən/. 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 "restriction"?
From Middle English restriccioun, from Anglo-Norman restriction, Middle French restriction, and their source, Late Latin restrictiō, from Latin restringō. Morphologically restrict + -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 "restriction", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

predictable#10,258accelerated#10,320designation#10,192decorations#10,189

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

professionally18 variantsexplanations18 variantsforthcoming18 variantsneighbouring18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list