explosion

\ɛk.splo.zjɔ̃\

/\ɛk.splo.zjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“explosion” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #3,607 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,607
frequency rank, French
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - État, bruit, mouvement subit et impétueux que produisent les poudres, les mélanges de salpêtre et de soufre, certains mélanges de gaz, etc., lorsqu’ils s’enflamment.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

explosion vs expulsion
78% similar
explosion vs explosive
78% similar
explosion vs explosions
90% similar

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

Key facts for explosion
PropertyValue
Headwordexplosion
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɛk.splo.zjɔ̃\
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,607
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “explosion” 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). explosion 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 explosion is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɛk.splo.zjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #3,607 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 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for explosion, with forms such as "epxlosion", "exlposion", and "expllosion". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "expulsion", "explosive", "explosions", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is explosion, spelled E-X-P-L-O-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    État, bruit, mouvement subit et impétueux que produisent les poudres, les mélanges de salpêtre et de soufre, certains mélanges de gaz, etc., lorsqu’ils s’enflamment.
  2. 2
    Action d’éclater, produite par l’excès de tension.
  3. 3
    Se dit en parlant des passions violentes qui viennent à éclater.
  4. 4
    Accroissement très rapide, spectaculaire.

Synonyms

déflagrationboom

Antonyms

implosion

This word in other languages

explosion(English)explosión(Español)Ausbruch(Deutsch)explosão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epxlosion,exlposion,expllosion,exploison,explosino,explosionn,explosoin,explossion,explsoion,expolsion,expplosion,exxplosion,xeplosion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epxlosion2exlposion2expllosion1exploison2explosino2explosionn1explosoin2explossion1
Edit distance from "explosion"

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 "explosion"?
"explosion" is spelled E-X-P-L-O-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ɛk.splo.zjɔ̃\.
What does "explosion" mean?
As a noun, "explosion" means: État, bruit, mouvement subit et impétueux que produisent les poudres, les mélanges de salpêtre et de soufre, certains mélanges de gaz, etc., lorsqu’ils s’enflamment.
What words are commonly confused with "explosion"?
"explosion" is commonly confused with "expulsion", "explosive", "explosions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "explosion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "explosion" is \ɛk.splo.zjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "explosion" come from?
"explosion" 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 “explosion”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is E-X-P-L-O-S-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɛk.splo.zjɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “expulsion” - see the side-by-side comparison. explosion vs expulsion
  • 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