siphon

/ˈsaɪfən/

//ˈsaɪfən// noun

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

"siphon" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“siphon” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,182. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,182
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A bent pipe or tube with one end lower than the other, in which hydrostatic pressure exerted due to the force of gravity moves liquid from one reservoir to another.

Corpus desk

Index EN-siphon · siphon · English

siphon · rank #32,182 · 9 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,182
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Sinha

Nearest frequency peer: Sinha (-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 “siphon”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “siphon” 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).

siphon vs spoon
67% similar
siphon vs Sion
50% similar
siphon vs Simon
50% similar

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

Key facts for siphon
PropertyValue
Headwordsiphon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsaɪfən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#32,182
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “siphon”

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).siphonlands 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 “Sinha” (#32,181), “Skelton” (#32,183), “slasher” (#32,184). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “siphon” is #32,182. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around siphon (IPA /ˈsaɪfən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #32,182 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for siphon, with forms such as "isphon", "sihpon", and "siphhon". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "spoon", "Sion", "Simon", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French siphon, from Old French sifon, from Latin sipho, from Ancient Greek σίφων (síphōn, “pipe, tube”), of uncertain origin; possibly related to Latin tibia (“pipe, flute of bone”), with the irregular forms suggesting a non-Indo-European loan s… The correct English form is siphon, spelled S-I-P-H-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bent pipe or tube with one end lower than the other, in which hydrostatic pressure exerted due to the force of gravity moves liquid from one reservoir to another.
  2. 2
    A soda siphon.
  3. 3
    A tubelike organ found in animals or elongated cell found in plants.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The asserted fact that free hydrochloric acid is absent from the fluid removed by a siphon in cases of cancer of the stomach has been lately much discussed in Germany, and Dr Van der Welden, of Strassburg, introduced an alcoholic solution of tropæolin as a test with this object.
  2. As a result, although corbinas commonly utilize mollusks, they are limited to the siphons, foot, or other soft parts that either extend from the shell or can be picked from it.

Etymology

From Middle French siphon, from Old French sifon, from Latin sipho, from Ancient Greek σίφων (síphōn, “pipe, tube”), of uncertain origin; possibly related to Latin tibia (“pipe, flute of bone”), with the irregular forms suggesting a non-Indo-European loan source, perhaps of the shape *twi-, *twibh.

This word in other languages

sifón(Español)siphon(Français)Heber(Deutsch)sifão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • isphon
  • sihpon
  • siphhon
  • siphno
  • siphonn
  • sipohn
  • sipphon
  • spihon
  • ssiphon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

isphon2sihpon2siphhon1siphno2siphonn1sipohn2sipphon1spihon2
Edit distance from "siphon"

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 "siphon"?
"siphon" is spelled S-I-P-H-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsaɪfən/.
What does "siphon" mean?
As a noun, "siphon" means: A bent pipe or tube with one end lower than the other, in which hydrostatic pressure exerted due to the force of gravity moves liquid from one reservoir to another.
What words are commonly confused with "siphon"?
"siphon" is commonly confused with "spoon", "Sion", "Simon". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "siphon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "siphon" is /ˈsaɪfən/. 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 "siphon"?
From Middle French siphon, from Old French sifon, from Latin sipho, from Ancient Greek σίφων (síphōn, “pipe, tube”), of uncertain origin; possibly related to Latin tibia (“pipe, flute of bone”), with the irregular forms suggesting a non-Indo-Europ... 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 "siphon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Sewell#32,176sarkar#32,168rodman#32,162reverb#32,158

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

tableau9 variantstrotter9 variantsVelcro9 variantspresto9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list