torsion
/ˈtor.ʃɪn/noun, verb
torsion is spelled T-O-R-S-I-O-N: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,912th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, torsion means “The act of turning or twisting, or the state of being twisted; the twisting or wrenching of a body by the exertion of a lateral force tending to turn…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of torsion is torsions.
How many letters and syllables are in torsion?
| Letters | 7: T-O-R-S-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 34,912th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is torsion?
Torsion appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,912th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce torsion?
- UK /ˈtɔː.ʃən/
- US /ˈtor.ʃɪn/
- US /ˈtor.ʒɪn/
Torsion has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-torsion.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with torsion?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as torsion (/oɹʃɪn/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: nitroso.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of torsion
- torsions plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- torsioning participle, present
- torsioned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does torsion mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of turning or twisting, or the state of being twisted; the twisting or wrenching of a body by the exertion of a lateral force tending to turn one end or part of it about a longitudinal axis, while the other is held fast or turned in the opposite direction.
- 2
A finite order element of a group that, when raised to a positive integer power results in the identity element of the group.
- 3
An element of a homology or cohomology group for which there exists a non-zero integer that, when the element is multiplied by that integer, yields zero.
- 4
A type of holistic complimentary medicine that involves balancing theoretical energy fields through energy healing, meditation, and similar practices.
- 5
That force with which a thread, wire, or rod of any material returns, or tends to return, to a state of rest after it has been twisted; torsibility.
- 6
The stopping of arterial haemorrhage in certain cases, by twisting the cut end of the artery.
verb
- 1
To subject to torsion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Torsion in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Windung, Windungen |
| Portuguese | torção |
| Spanish | torsión , elasticidad |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does torsion come from?
From Middle English torcion, from Middle French torsion, from Late Latin torsiōnem, from Latin tortiō, from torqueō (“twist, turn”). See torture, -tort.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).