possession

\pɔ.sɛ.sjɔ̃\

/\pɔ.sɛ.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“possession” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #3,558 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,558
frequency rank, French
10
letters
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Jouissance, faculté actuelle de disposer ou de jouir d’un bien.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

possession vs possessions
91% similar
possession vs possessif
80% similar

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

Key facts for possession
PropertyValue
Headwordpossession
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pɔ.sɛ.sjɔ̃\
Letters10
Frequency rank#3,558
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “possession” 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). possession 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 possession is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pɔ.sɛ.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #3,558 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for possession, with forms such as "opssession", "posession", and "posesssion". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "possessions", "possessif", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, 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 possession, spelled P-O-S-S-E-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Jouissance, faculté actuelle de disposer ou de jouir d’un bien.
  2. 2
    Rapport possessif ou analogue à la possession, exprimé par les adjectifs possessifs comme ma, les pronoms possessifs comme le mien, les adpositions comme de, les verbes comme avoir, etc.
  3. 3
    Terres possédées par un État ou par un particulier.
  4. 4
    Jouissance de certains plaisirs, de certaines choses qu’on a recherchées avec ardeur.
  5. 5
    État d’un homme qu’on dit possédé par le démon.

This word in other languages

possession(English)posesión(Español)Besitz(Deutsch)posse(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opssession,posession,posesssion,possesion,possesison,possessino,possessionn,possessoin,posssesion,ppossession,psosession

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opssession2posession1posesssion2possesion1possesison2possessino2possessionn1possessoin2
Edit distance from "possession"

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 "possession"?
"possession" is spelled P-O-S-S-E-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \pɔ.sɛ.sjɔ̃\.
What does "possession" mean?
As a noun, "possession" means: Jouissance, faculté actuelle de disposer ou de jouir d’un bien.
What words are commonly confused with "possession"?
"possession" is commonly confused with "possessions", "possessif". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "possession"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "possession" is \pɔ.sɛ.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "possession" come from?
"possession" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “possession”

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

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