suspicion

/səˈspɪʃ.ən/

//səˈspɪʃ.ən// noun

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

"suspicion" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“suspicion” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,506 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,506
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of suspecting something or someone, especially of something wrong.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

suspicion vs suspicious
80% similar
suspicion vs suspicions
90% similar

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

Key facts for suspicion
PropertyValue
Headwordsuspicion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/səˈspɪʃ.ən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#7,506
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “suspicion” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for suspicion is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /səˈspɪʃ.ən/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,506 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for suspicion, with forms such as "ssupicion", "ssuspicion", and "supsicion". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "suspicious", "suspicions", 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 suspecioun, borrowed from Latin suspīciō, suspīciōnem, from suspicere, from sub- (“up to”) with specere (“to look at”). Perhaps partly through the influence of Old French sospeçon (or rather the Anglo-Norman form suspecioun). Equivalent … The correct English form is suspicion, spelled S-U-S-P-I-C-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of suspecting something or someone, especially of something wrong.
  2. 2
    The condition of being suspected.
  3. 3
    Uncertainty, doubt.
  4. 4
    A trace, or slight indication.
  5. 5
    The imagining of something without evidence.

Etymology

From Middle English suspecioun, borrowed from Latin suspīciō, suspīciōnem, from suspicere, from sub- (“up to”) with specere (“to look at”). Perhaps partly through the influence of Old French sospeçon (or rather the Anglo-Norman form suspecioun). Equivalent to suspect + -ion.

Synonyms

inkling

This word in other languages

sospecha(Español)suspicion(Français)Verdacht(Deutsch)suspeita(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ssupicion,ssuspicion,supsicion,susipcion,suspciion,suspiccion,suspicino,suspicionn,suspicoin,suspiicon,susppicion,susspicion,usspicion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of suspicion - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ssupicion2ssuspicion1supsicion2susipcion2suspciion2suspiccion1suspicino2suspicionn1
Edit distance from "suspicion"

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 "suspicion"?
"suspicion" is spelled S-U-S-P-I-C-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈspɪʃ.ən/.
What does "suspicion" mean?
As a noun, "suspicion" means: The act of suspecting something or someone, especially of something wrong.
What words are commonly confused with "suspicion"?
"suspicion" is commonly confused with "suspicious", "suspicions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "suspicion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "suspicion" is /səˈspɪʃ.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 "suspicion"?
From Middle English suspecioun, borrowed from Latin suspīciō, suspīciōnem, from suspicere, from sub- (“up to”) with specere (“to look at”). Perhaps partly through the influence of Old French sospeçon (or rather the Anglo-Norman form suspecioun). E... 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.

Using “suspicion”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-S-P-I-C-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /səˈspɪʃ.ən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “suspicious” - see the side-by-side comparison. suspicion vs suspicious
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list