altération

\al.te.ʁa.sjɔ̃\

/\al.te.ʁa.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“altération” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #18,110 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,110
frequency rank, French
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Changement dans l’état d’une chose.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

altération vs altercation
82% similar
altération vs altérations
91% similar
altération vs aération
80% similar

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

Key facts for altération
PropertyValue
Headwordaltération
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\al.te.ʁa.sjɔ̃\
Letters10
Frequency rank#18,110
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “altération” 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). altération 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 altération is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \al.te.ʁa.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #18,110 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for altération, with forms such as "alltération", "alteration", and "altréation". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "altercation", "altérations", "aération", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is altération, spelled A-L-T-É-R-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Changement dans l’état d’une chose.
  2. 2
    Dégradation par rapport à un état normal ou un état d’origine.
  3. 3
    Dépôt de particules transportées par l’eau, le vent ou la glace.
  4. 4
    Modification en mal dans l’état d’une personne ou d’une chose.
  5. 5
    Falsification des monnaies par l’excès de l’alliage.
  6. 6
    Tout changement chromatique qu’on fait subir à une note.
  7. 7
    Diminution considérable de l'activité de la sève.
  8. 8
    Grande soif, émotion d'esprit.
  9. 9
    Erreur systématique, généralement de valeur connue, inséparablement liée à la nature même d'un processus.

This word in other languages

alteration(English)alteración(Español)Wechsel(Deutsch)mudança(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: alltération,alteration,altréation,alttération,altéartion,altéraiton,altératino,altérationn,altératoin,altérattion,altérration,altértaion,alétration,atlération,latération

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alltération1alteration1altréation2alttération1altéartion2altéraiton2altératino2altérationn1
Edit distance from "altération"

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 "altération"?
"altération" is spelled A-L-T-É-R-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \al.te.ʁa.sjɔ̃\.
What does "altération" mean?
As a noun, "altération" means: Changement dans l’état d’une chose.
What words are commonly confused with "altération"?
"altération" is commonly confused with "altercation", "altérations", "aération". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "altération"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "altération" is \al.te.ʁa.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "altération" come from?
"altération" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “altération”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is A-L-T-É-R-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \al.te.ʁa.sjɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “altercation” - see the side-by-side comparison. altération vs altercation
  • 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