absolution

\ap.sɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\

/\ap.sɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“absolution” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #32,257 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#32,257
frequency rank, French
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action d’absoudre.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

absolution vs absorption
80% similar
absolution vs abolition
80% similar

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

Key facts for absolution
PropertyValue
Headwordabsolution
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ap.sɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\
Letters10
Frequency rank#32,257
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “absolution” sits in French 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). absolution 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 French entry for absolution is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ap.sɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #32,257 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for absolution, with forms such as "abbsolution", "aboslution", and "absloution". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "absorption", "abolition", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is absolution, spelled A-B-S-O-L-U-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action d’absoudre.
  2. 2
    Jugement qui renvoie de l’accusation un accusé auteur d’un fait qui n’est puni par aucune loi.
  3. 3
    Sentence passée sur un accusé reconnu coupable, en vertu de laquelle celui-ci est réputé ne pas avoir commis de crime; peut être inconditionnelle ou conditionnelle.
  4. 4
    Action par laquelle le prêtre remet les péchés en vertu des paroles sacramentelles qu’il prononce.

This word in other languages

absolution(English)absolución(Español)Absolution(Deutsch)absolvição(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbsolution,aboslution,absloution,absollution,absoltuion,absoluiton,absolutino,absolutionn,absolutoin,absoluttion,absoultion,abssolution,asbolution,basolution

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of absolution - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

abbsolution1aboslution2absloution2absollution1absoltuion2absoluiton2absolutino2absolutionn1
Edit distance from "absolution"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "absolution"?
"absolution" is spelled A-B-S-O-L-U-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ap.sɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\.
What does "absolution" mean?
As a noun, "absolution" means: Action d’absoudre.
What words are commonly confused with "absolution"?
"absolution" is commonly confused with "absorption", "abolition". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "absolution"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "absolution" is \ap.sɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "absolution" come from?
"absolution" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “absolution”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is A-B-S-O-L-U-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ap.sɔ.ly.sjɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “absorption” - see the side-by-side comparison. absolution vs absorption
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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