expression

\ɛk.spʁɛ.sjɔ̃\

/\ɛk.spʁɛ.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“expression” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,260 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,260
frequency rank, French
10
letters
13
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Communication des idées ou des sentiments.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

expression vs expresso
80% similar
expression vs expressive
80% similar
expression vs expressions
91% similar

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

Key facts for expression
PropertyValue
Headwordexpression
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɛk.spʁɛ.sjɔ̃\
Letters10
Frequency rank#1,260
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “expression” 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). expression 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 expression is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɛk.spʁɛ.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,260 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 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 expression, with forms such as "epxression", "experssion", and "exppression". 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, "expresso", "expressive", "expressions", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is expression, spelled E-X-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Communication des idées ou des sentiments.
  2. 2
    Le fait de s’exprimer par le langage.
  3. 3
    Ce qui est dit ou peut être dit par le langage.
  4. 4
    Manière de dire.
  5. 5
    Tournure de phrase, locution.
  6. 6
    La manière, le style utilisés par l’artiste.
  7. 7
    Manière de présenter ses idées ou ses sentiments par l’attitude du corps, la mimique du visage.
  8. 8
    Aptitude à exprimer par divers moyens ses idées ou ses sentiments.
  9. 9
    Manifestation ; manière dont quelqu’un ou quelque chose se manifeste.
  10. 10
    Extraction par pression du suc, du jus d’une herbe, d’un fruit, etc.
  11. 11
    Forme par laquelle on représente une valeur, un système.
  12. 12
    Traduction d’un gène en protéines.
  13. 13
    Action de représenter ou de traduire par des données diverses, de manière analogique, une réalité d’un autre ordre, éloignée ou cachée.
  14. 14
    Manière dont l’artiste ou l’écrivain manifeste dans son œuvre certains contenus psychologiques.

Synonyms

locution

This word in other languages

idiom(English)expresión(Español)Ausdruck(Deutsch)expressão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epxression,experssion,exppression,expresion,expresison,expressino,expressionn,expressoin,exprression,exprsesion,exrpession,exxpression,xepression

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epxression2experssion2exppression1expresion1expresison2expressino2expressionn1expressoin2
Edit distance from "expression"

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 "expression"?
"expression" is spelled E-X-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ɛk.spʁɛ.sjɔ̃\.
What does "expression" mean?
As a noun, "expression" means: Communication des idées ou des sentiments.
What words are commonly confused with "expression"?
"expression" is commonly confused with "expresso", "expressive", "expressions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "expression"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "expression" is \ɛk.spʁɛ.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "expression" come from?
"expression" 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 “expression”

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

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