scorpion

/ˈskɔː.pi.ən/

//ˈskɔː.pi.ən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“scorpion” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,953. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,953
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of various arachnids of the order Scorpiones, related to the spiders, characterised by two large front pincers and a curved tail with a venomous sting in the end.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scorpion · scorpion · English

scorpion · rank #17,953 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #17,953
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH scarcity

Nearest frequency peer: scarcity (-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 “scorpion”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “scorpion” 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).

scorpion vs Scorpio
75% similar

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

Key facts for scorpion
PropertyValue
Headwordscorpion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskɔː.pi.ən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#17,953
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “scorpion”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “scarcity” (#17,952), “setback” (#17,955), “saturation” (#17,950). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scorpion” is #17,953. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around scorpion (IPA /ˈskɔː.pi.ən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,953 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for scorpion, with forms such as "csorpion", "sccorpion", and "scoprion". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Scorpio", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English scorpioun, skorpioun, schorpion, schorpiun, partly from Old English sċorpio and partly from Anglo-Norman scorpïun, Old French scorpïon, escorpïon; all from Latin scorpiō, ultimately from Ancient Greek σκορπίος (skorpíos). The cheerleadin… The correct English form is scorpion, spelled S-C-O-R-P-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various arachnids of the order Scorpiones, related to the spiders, characterised by two large front pincers and a curved tail with a venomous sting in the end.
  2. 2
    An ancient military engine for hurling stones and other missiles.
  3. 3
    A very spiteful or vindictive person.
  4. 4
    A cheerleading move in which one foot is pulled back and held up with both hands while the performer stands on the other foot.
  5. 5
    A whip with points like a scorpion's tail.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Who led thee through that great and terrible wildernesse, wherein were fierie serpents, and scorpions, & drought, where there was no water, who brought thee foorth water out of the rocke of flint,
  2. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heauy yoke, I wil adde to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whippes, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Etymology

From Middle English scorpioun, skorpioun, schorpion, schorpiun, partly from Old English sċorpio and partly from Anglo-Norman scorpïun, Old French scorpïon, escorpïon; all from Latin scorpiō, ultimately from Ancient Greek σκορπίος (skorpíos). The cheerleading move is so called because of the resemblance of the raised foot to a scorpion's stinger.

This word in other languages

escorpión(Español)scorpion(Français)Skorpion(Deutsch)escorpião(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • csorpion
  • sccorpion
  • scoprion
  • scoripon
  • scorpino
  • scorpionn
  • scorpoin
  • scorppion
  • scorrpion
  • scropion
  • socrpion
  • sscorpion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

csorpion2sccorpion1scoprion2scoripon2scorpino2scorpionn1scorpoin2scorppion1
Edit distance from "scorpion"

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 "scorpion"?
"scorpion" is spelled S-C-O-R-P-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskɔː.pi.ən/.
What does "scorpion" mean?
As a noun, "scorpion" means: Any of various arachnids of the order Scorpiones, related to the spiders, characterised by two large front pincers and a curved tail with a venomous sting in the end.
What words are commonly confused with "scorpion"?
"scorpion" is commonly confused with "Scorpio". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "scorpion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scorpion" is /ˈskɔː.pi.ən/. 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 "scorpion"?
From Middle English scorpioun, skorpioun, schorpion, schorpiun, partly from Old English sċorpio and partly from Anglo-Norman scorpïun, Old French scorpïon, escorpïon; all from Latin scorpiō, ultimately from Ancient Greek σκορπίος (skorpíos). The c... 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 "scorpion", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

scarcity#17,952sanitary#17,948slippers#17,959spilling#17,964

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

preached12 variantspopulist12 variantsoriginate12 variantsmorphine12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list