obstruction

\ɔp.stʁyk.sjɔ̃\

/\ɔp.stʁyk.sjɔ̃\/ noun

The verdict

“obstruction” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #19,082 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#19,082
frequency rank, French
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Engorgement ou embarras qui se forme dans les conduits de l’organisme.

Key facts for obstruction
PropertyValue
Headwordobstruction
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɔp.stʁyk.sjɔ̃\
Letters11
Frequency rank#19,082
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obstruction” 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). obstruction 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 obstruction is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɔp.stʁyk.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #19,082 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. 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 obstruction, with forms such as "bostruction", "obbstruction", and "obsrtuction". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is obstruction, spelled O-B-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Engorgement ou embarras qui se forme dans les conduits de l’organisme.
  2. 2
    Toute espèce d’engorgement dans toute espèce de conduits, canaux, voies de communication.
  3. 3
    Manœuvre tendant à retarder, à empêcher un débat, le vote d’une mesure, etc.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bostruction,obbstruction,obsrtuction,obsstruction,obstrcution,obstrruction,obstrucction,obstruciton,obstructino,obstructionn,obstructoin,obstructtion,obstrutcion,obsttruction,obsturction,obtsruction,osbtruction

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bostruction2obbstruction1obsrtuction2obsstruction1obstrcution2obstrruction1obstrucction1obstruciton2
Edit distance from "obstruction"

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 "obstruction"?
"obstruction" is spelled O-B-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ɔp.stʁyk.sjɔ̃\.
What does "obstruction" mean?
As a noun, "obstruction" means: Engorgement ou embarras qui se forme dans les conduits de l’organisme.
What are common misspellings of "obstruction"?
Common misspellings include "bostruction", "obbstruction", "obsrtuction", "obsstruction", "obstrcution". The correct spelling is "obstruction".
How do you pronounce "obstruction"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obstruction" is \ɔp.stʁyk.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "obstruction" come from?
"obstruction" 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 “obstruction”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is O-B-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɔp.stʁyk.sjɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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