apprehension

\ˌæp.ɹɪ.ˈhɛn.ʃən\

/\ˌæp.ɹɪ.ˈhɛn.ʃən\/ noun

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

The verdict

“apprehension” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Appréhension ; action de saisir les choses par l’esprit.

Corpus desk

Index FR-apprehension · apprehension · French

apprehension · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for apprehension
PropertyValue
Headwordapprehension
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˌæp.ɹɪ.ˈhɛn.ʃən\
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “apprehension” sits in French frequency

apprehensionsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent French words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

apprehension is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \ˌæp.ɹɪ.ˈhɛn.ʃən\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for apprehension, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is apprehension, spelled A-P-P-R-E-H-E-N-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Appréhension ; action de saisir les choses par l’esprit.
  2. 2
    Appréhension, crainte, peur.
  3. 3
    Appréhension, arrestation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how apprehension appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. As they explained it, slowly apprehension came to him.
  2. Her apprehension of the situation was justified by the events that followed.

Antonyms

misapprehension

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "apprehension"?
"apprehension" is spelled A-P-P-R-E-H-E-N-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ˌæp.ɹɪ.ˈhɛn.ʃən\.
What does "apprehension" mean?
As a noun, "apprehension" means: Appréhension ; action de saisir les choses par l’esprit.
How do you pronounce "apprehension"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "apprehension" is \ˌæp.ɹɪ.ˈhɛn.ʃən\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "apprehension" come from?
"apprehension" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

What to do next

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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