compétition

\kɔ̃.pe.ti.sjɔ̃\

/\kɔ̃.pe.ti.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“compétition” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,906 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,906
frequency rank, French
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Rivalité entre des personnes ou des organisations pour obtenir une récompense ou un avantage.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

compétition vs composition
82% similar
compétition vs compétitive
82% similar
compétition vs compétitions
92% similar

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

Key facts for compétition
PropertyValue
Headwordcompétition
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kɔ̃.pe.ti.sjɔ̃\
Letters11
Frequency rank#1,906
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “compétition” 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). compétition 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 compétition is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kɔ̃.pe.ti.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,906 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for compétition, with forms such as "ccompétition", "cmopétition", and "commpétition". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "composition", "compétitive", "compétitions", and more, 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 compétition, spelled C-O-M-P-É-T-I-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Rivalité entre des personnes ou des organisations pour obtenir une récompense ou un avantage.
  2. 2
    Type d’évènement lors duquel plusieurs personnes s'affrontent pour remporter une victoire.
  3. 3
    Concurrence existant entre des individus d’une même espèce ou des individus d’espèces différentes qui utilisent les mêmes ressources nutritives ou énergétiques de leur milieu.

This word in other languages

competition(English)Konkurrenz(Deutsch)competição(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccompétition,cmopétition,commpétition,competition,comppétition,comptéition,compéittion,compétiiton,compétitino,compétitionn,compétitoin,compétittion,compéttiion,compéttition,coméptition,copmétition,ocmpétition

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccompétition1cmopétition2commpétition1competition1comppétition1comptéition2compéittion2compétiiton2
Edit distance from "compétition"

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 "compétition"?
"compétition" is spelled C-O-M-P-É-T-I-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \kɔ̃.pe.ti.sjɔ̃\.
What does "compétition" mean?
As a noun, "compétition" means: Rivalité entre des personnes ou des organisations pour obtenir une récompense ou un avantage.
What words are commonly confused with "compétition"?
"compétition" is commonly confused with "composition", "compétitive", "compétitions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "compétition"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "compétition" is \kɔ̃.pe.ti.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "compétition" come from?
"compétition" 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 “compétition”

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

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