sanction

/ˈsæŋkʃ(ə)n/

//ˈsæŋkʃ(ə)n// noun

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

"sanction" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sanction” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,582. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,582
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sanction · sanction · English

sanction · rank #16,582 · 13 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,582
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH saloon

Nearest frequency peer: saloon (-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 “sanction”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sanction” 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).

sanction vs section
75% similar
sanction vs suction
75% similar
sanction vs sanctity
75% similar

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

Key facts for sanction
PropertyValue
Headwordsanction
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsæŋkʃ(ə)n/
Letters8
Frequency rank#16,582
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sanction”

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).sanctionlands 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 “saloon” (#16,581), “sexes” (#16,583), “Sachs” (#16,580). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sanction” is #16,582. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around sanction (IPA /ˈsæŋkʃ(ə)n/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,582 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for sanction, with forms such as "asnction", "sacntion", and "sancction". 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, "section", "suction", "sanctity", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French sanction, from Latin sānctiō. The correct English form is sanction, spelled S-A-N-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid.
  2. 2
    A penalty, punishment, or some coercive measure, intended to ensure compliance; especially one adopted by several nations, or by an international body.
  3. 3
    A law, treaty, or contract, or a clause within a law, treaty, or contract, specifying any of the above.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The whalers had been operating in the contested waters off the island with sanction from the Japanese government.
  2. The idea that it was more comfortable in the house than out of it, did much towards reconciling his lordship. He felt positively glad that, as his wife had acted without his sanction, she should be subject to all possible inconvenience, as if such could be felt in Henrietta's state of mind.

Etymology

From Middle French sanction, from Latin sānctiō.

Synonyms

banboycottestoppelinjunctioninterdictionembargopenaltiesproscriptionsanctiontaboo

Antonyms

permissionendorsementsupportconfirmationallowancebacking

This word in other languages

autorización(Español)approbation(Français)Billigung(Deutsch)sanção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • asnction
  • sacntion
  • sancction
  • sanciton
  • sancsion
  • sanctino
  • sanctionn
  • sanctoin
  • sancttion
  • sannction
  • santcion
  • snaction
  • ssanction

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

asnction2sacntion2sancction1sanciton2sancsion1sanctino2sanctionn1sanctoin2
Edit distance from "sanction"

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 "sanction"?
"sanction" is spelled S-A-N-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsæŋkʃ(ə)n/.
What does "sanction" mean?
As a noun, "sanction" means: An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid.
What words are commonly confused with "sanction"?
"sanction" is commonly confused with "section", "suction", "sanctity". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sanction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sanction" is /ˈsæŋkʃ(ə)n/. 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 "sanction"?
From Middle French sanction, from Latin sānctiō. 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 "sanction", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

surfaced#16,596nutshell#16,546approves#16,636Atkinson#16,639

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

posterior13 variantsuploading13 variantsoverboard13 variantsanchorage13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list