apparition

\a.pa.ʁi.sjɔ̃\

/\a.pa.ʁi.sjɔ̃\/ noun

The verdict

“apparition” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #2,979 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,979
frequency rank, French
10
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action d’apparaître, de se montrer.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

apparition vs apparitions
91% similar

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

Key facts for apparition
PropertyValue
Headwordapparition
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\a.pa.ʁi.sjɔ̃\
Letters10
Frequency rank#2,979
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “apparition” 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). apparition 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 apparition is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \a.pa.ʁi.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #2,979 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for apparition, with forms such as "apaprition", "aparition", and "appairtion". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "apparitions", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

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 apparition, spelled A-P-P-A-R-I-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action d’apparaître, de se montrer.
  2. 2
    Passage rapide.
  3. 3
    Action de se manifester, de se rendre tout d’un coup visible.
  4. 4
    Être imaginaire qu’on croit apercevoir quand on est en état d’hallucination.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apaprition,aparition,appairtion,appariiton,apparitino,apparitionn,apparitoin,apparittion,apparrition,appartiion,appraition,paparition

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apaprition2aparition1appairtion2appariiton2apparitino2apparitionn1apparitoin2apparittion1
Edit distance from "apparition"

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 "apparition"?
"apparition" is spelled A-P-P-A-R-I-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \a.pa.ʁi.sjɔ̃\.
What does "apparition" mean?
As a noun, "apparition" means: Action d’apparaître, de se montrer.
What words are commonly confused with "apparition"?
"apparition" is commonly confused with "apparitions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "apparition"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "apparition" is \a.pa.ʁi.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "apparition" come from?
"apparition" 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 “apparition”

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

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