transition

/tɹænˈzɪ.ʃən/

//tɹænˈzɪ.ʃən// noun

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

"transition" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“transition” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,268 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,268
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The process of change from one form, state, style or place to another.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

transition vs transitive
80% similar
transition vs translation
82% similar
transition vs transitional
83% similar

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

Key facts for transition
PropertyValue
Headwordtransition
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tɹænˈzɪ.ʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#3,268
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “transition” 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). transition 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 transition is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tɹænˈzɪ.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,268 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for transition, with forms such as "rtansition", "tarnsition", and "tranistion". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "transitive", "translation", "transitional", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Middle French transitionbor. English transition From Middle French transition, from Latin transitio. By surface analysis, transit + -ion. The correct English form is transition, spelled T-R-A-N-S-I-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The process of change from one form, state, style or place to another.
  2. 2
    A word or phrase connecting one part of a discourse to another.
  3. 3
    A brief modulation; a passage connecting two themes.
  4. 4
    A change of key.
  5. 5
    A point mutation in which one base is replaced by another of the same class (purine or pyrimidine); compare transversion.
  6. 6
    A change from defense to attack, or attack to defense.
  7. 7
    The onset of the final stage of childbirth.
  8. 8
    Professional special education assistance for children or adults in the process of leaving one educational environment or support program for another to relatively more independent living.
  9. 9
    A change between forward and backward motion without stopping.
  10. 10
    The process or act of changing one's gender role or physical and sexual characteristics, by social, medical, or legal methods, to conform to their identified gender, rather than the sex assigned at birth.
  11. 11
    A published procedure for instrument flight, coming between the departure and en-route phases of flight, or between en-route flight and an approach/landing procedure.
  12. 12
    Death; passing from life into death.

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle French transitionbor. English transition From Middle French transition, from Latin transitio. By surface analysis, transit + -ion.

This word in other languages

transición(Español)transition(Français)Übergang(Deutsch)transição(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rtansition,tarnsition,tranistion,trannsition,transiiton,transision,transitino,transitionn,transitoin,transittion,transsition,transtiion,trasnition,trnasition,trransition,ttransition

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtansition2tarnsition2tranistion2trannsition1transiiton2transision1transitino2transitionn1
Edit distance from "transition"

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 "transition"?
"transition" is spelled T-R-A-N-S-I-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /tɹænˈzɪ.ʃən/.
What does "transition" mean?
As a noun, "transition" means: The process of change from one form, state, style or place to another.
What words are commonly confused with "transition"?
"transition" is commonly confused with "transitive", "translation", "transitional". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "transition"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "transition" is /tɹænˈzɪ.ʃən/. 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 "transition"?
Etymology tree Middle French transitionbor. English transition From Middle French transition, from Latin transitio. By surface analysis, transit + -ion. 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 “transition”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-R-A-N-S-I-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /tɹænˈzɪ.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “transitive” - see the side-by-side comparison. transition vs transitive
  • 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