retraction

/ɹɪˈtɹækʃən/

//ɹɪˈtɹækʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“retraction” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,825. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,825
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An act or instance of retracting.

Corpus desk

Index EN-retraction · retraction · English

retraction · rank #33,825 · 16 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,825
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH resupply

Nearest frequency peer: resupply (-2 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 “retraction”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “retraction” 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).

retraction vs reaction
80% similar
retraction vs refraction
90% similar
retraction vs restriction
82% similar

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

Key facts for retraction
PropertyValue
Headwordretraction
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈtɹækʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#33,825
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “retraction”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).retractionlands 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 “resupply” (#33,823), “riser” (#33,827), “reprieve” (#33,822). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “retraction” is #33,825. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around retraction (IPA /ɹɪˈtɹækʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #33,825 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for retraction, with forms such as "ertraction", "rertaction", and "retarction". 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, "reaction", "refraction", "restriction", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From re- + traction or retract + -ion. The correct English form is retraction, spelled R-E-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An act or instance of retracting.
  2. 2
    A statement printed or broadcast in a public forum which effects the withdrawal of an earlier assertion, and which concedes that the earlier assertion was in error.
  3. 3
    A continuous function from a topological space onto a subspace which is the identity on that subspace.

Etymology

From re- + traction or retract + -ion.

This word in other languages

rajada(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ertraction
  • rertaction
  • retarction
  • retracction
  • retraciton
  • retracsion
  • retractino
  • retractionn
  • retractoin
  • retracttion
  • retratcion
  • retrcation
  • retrraction
  • rettraction
  • rretraction
  • rteraction

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ertraction2rertaction2retarction2retracction1retraciton2retracsion1retractino2retractionn1
Edit distance from "retraction"

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 "retraction"?
"retraction" is spelled R-E-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈtɹækʃən/.
What does "retraction" mean?
As a noun, "retraction" means: An act or instance of retracting.
What words are commonly confused with "retraction"?
"retraction" is commonly confused with "reaction", "refraction", "restriction". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "retraction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "retraction" is /ɹɪˈtɹækʃən/. 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 "retraction"?
From re- + traction or retract + -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 "retraction", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

refractory#33,817refractive#33,816rebranding#33,812shopkeeper#33,845

Similar misspelling depth

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

regrettably16 variantsparadoxical16 variantsTwickenham16 variantsunattainable16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list