instruction

\ɛ̃s.tʁyk.sjɔ̃\

/\ɛ̃s.tʁyk.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“instruction” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #3,765 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,765
frequency rank, French
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action d’instruire quelqu’un sur les préceptes, les principes nécessaires à son éducation.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

instruction vs instructive
82% similar
instruction vs instructions
92% similar
instruction vs instructif
82% similar

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

Key facts for instruction
PropertyValue
Headwordinstruction
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɛ̃s.tʁyk.sjɔ̃\
Letters11
Frequency rank#3,765
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “instruction” 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). instruction 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 instruction is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɛ̃s.tʁyk.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #3,765 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 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 instruction, with forms such as "innstruction", "insrtuction", and "insstruction". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "instructive", "instructions", "instructif", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is instruction, spelled I-N-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action d’instruire quelqu’un sur les préceptes, les principes nécessaires à son éducation.
  2. 2
    Connaissances ; savoir ; notions acquises.
  3. 3
    Leçon, précepte, surtout d’action morale, qu’on donne pour instruire.
  4. 4
    Connaissance qu’on donne à quelqu’un de certains faits, de certains usages qu’il ignore.
  5. 5
    Ordres, explications, avis qu’une personne donne à une autre pour la conduite de quelque affaire, de quelque entreprise. — Note d’usage : Dans ce sens, il s’emploie surtout au pluriel.
  6. 6
    Ordres, des explications écrites ou verbales qu’un prince ou un gouvernement donne à son ambassadeur, à son envoyé, à son délégué, sur la manière de se conduire dans la mission dont il le charge.
  7. 7
    Toutes les formalités nécessaires pour mettre une cause, une affaire délictuelle ou criminelle en état d’être jugée.
  8. 8
    Informations ou directives présentées aux différents acteurs d’une opération avant le début de celle-ci.
  9. 9
    Étape d’un programme informatique.

Synonyms

connaissanceordreconsigneconsignesguidemanuelmode opératoirenoticeprocédurevadémécum

This word in other languages

instruction(English)Belehrung(Deutsch)instrução(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: innstruction,insrtuction,insstruction,instrcution,instrruction,instrucction,instruciton,instructino,instructionn,instructoin,instructtion,instrutcion,insttruction,insturction,intsruction,isntruction,nistruction

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of instruction - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

innstruction1insrtuction2insstruction1instrcution2instrruction1instrucction1instruciton2instructino2
Edit distance from "instruction"

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 "instruction"?
"instruction" is spelled I-N-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ɛ̃s.tʁyk.sjɔ̃\.
What does "instruction" mean?
As a noun, "instruction" means: Action d’instruire quelqu’un sur les préceptes, les principes nécessaires à son éducation.
What words are commonly confused with "instruction"?
"instruction" is commonly confused with "instructive", "instructions", "instructif". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "instruction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "instruction" is \ɛ̃s.tʁyk.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "instruction" come from?
"instruction" 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 “instruction”

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

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