obsession

\ɔp.se.sjɔ̃\

/\ɔp.se.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“obsession” has 11 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #9,206. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,206
frequency rank, French
75,470
“O” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action de celui qui obsède quelqu’un, qui est tellement assidu auprès de lui, que d’autres personnes ne peuvent en approcher.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

obsession vs obsessions
90% similar

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

Key facts for obsession
PropertyValue
Headwordobsession
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɔp.se.sjɔ̃\
Letters9
Frequency rank#9,206
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obsession” 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). obsession lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around obsession (IPA \ɔp.se.sjɔ̃\), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,206 among 75,470 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for obsession, with forms such as "bosession", "obbsession", and "obesssion". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "obsessions", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is obsession, spelled O-B-S-E-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action de celui qui obsède quelqu’un, qui est tellement assidu auprès de lui, que d’autres personnes ne peuvent en approcher.
  2. 2
    État psychique consistant dans la présence à l’esprit d’une préoccupation ou d’une représentation, son ou image, que la volonté ne parvient pas à écarter.
  3. 3
    Pensée négative inspirée par le diable ou ses démons, dans le but de couper les hommes de Dieu.

This word in other languages

obsession(English)obsesión(Español)Zwangsvorstellung(Deutsch)obsessão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bosession
  • obbsession
  • obesssion
  • obsesion
  • obsesison
  • obsessino
  • obsessionn
  • obsessoin
  • obssesion
  • obssession
  • osbession

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bosession2obbsession1obesssion2obsesion1obsesison2obsessino2obsessionn1obsessoin2
Edit distance from "obsession"

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 "obsession"?
"obsession" is spelled O-B-S-E-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ɔp.se.sjɔ̃\.
What does "obsession" mean?
As a noun, "obsession" means: Action de celui qui obsède quelqu’un, qui est tellement assidu auprès de lui, que d’autres personnes ne peuvent en approcher.
What words are commonly confused with "obsession"?
"obsession" is commonly confused with "obsessions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "obsession"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obsession" is \ɔp.se.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "obsession" come from?
"obsession" 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 “obsession”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is O-B-S-E-S-S-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɔp.se.sjɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “obsessions” - see the side-by-side comparison. obsession vs obsessions
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Same frequency band

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