Possession Or Posession โ€“ How To Spell It Correctly

24/03/2024 Language rules Time to read: 2min
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Many students struggle with spelling English words correctly, particularly with common spelling mistakes like โ€œpossessionโ€ and โ€œposession.โ€ This difficulty can stem from various spelling variations across languages or pronunciation differences. In this guide, we will clarify the correct spelling of this word, provide you with examples, and the most frequently asked questions about this topic to help you grasp it better.

The correct spelling of โ€œpossessionโ€

The word โ€œpossessionโ€ functions as a noun. It refers to the state of having, owning, or controlling something. The only correct way of spelling it is โ€œpossession.โ€ โ€œPossessionโ€ originates from the Old French, derived from the Latin verb โ€œpossidere,โ€ which means โ€œto possess,โ€ or its synonym, โ€œto own.โ€

Correct spelling

possession

Incorrect spelling

posession

โ€œPossessionโ€ is correctly written with two pairs of double โ€œsโ€. The root word โ€œpossessโ€ is also spelled with the same amount of the letter โ€œsโ€. This spelling conforms to standard English rules, and is widely used in both British English and American English.

The common misspelling โ€œposessionโ€ may occur due to phonetic confusion, as the pronunciation of โ€œpossessionโ€ emphasizes the beginning โ€œpo-,โ€ which can lead to people thinking that there is no โ€œsโ€ in the first syllable.

Examples

  • The ancient vase, a rare find, is now in the museumโ€™s possession.
  • The police found stolen goods in his possession during the search.
  • In the game, maintaining possession of the ball is key to controlling the pace.

Mnemonic for spelling โ€œpossessionโ€

Despite the difficult spelling of โ€œpossession,โ€ there is a helpful mnemonic to remember the correct spelling.

Note: To possess something, you need two double sโ€™es in succession.

FAQs

โ€œPossessionโ€ is spelled correctly with two pairs of โ€œs.โ€

A โ€œpossessionโ€ is an item of property; something that belongs to someone.

A synonym for โ€œpossessionโ€ is โ€œownership.โ€

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By

Melissa Gertschnig

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About the author

Melissa Gertschnig works as a Content Manager for the English market at BachelorPrint. A love for languages and other cultures has led her to become a foreign language correspondence clerk, with a primary focus on English and Spanish. This gained her a high proficiency English level in listening, writing, and reading. During her training, Melissa had been awarded a Level 2 Pearson LCCI Certificate for Business English. While working full-time, she earned her certificate in Online Marketing, which ultimately led her to BachelorPrint, where she delivers professionally written and educational content for students and curious individuals all around the world.

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Cite This Article

Bibliography

Gertschnig, M. (2024, March 24). Possession Or Posession โ€“ How To Spell It Correctly. BachelorPrint. https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/spelling-mistakes/possession-or-posession/ (retrieved 26/05/2026)

In-text citation

Parenthetical
(Gertschnig , 2024)
Narrative
Gertschnig (2024)

Bibliography

Gertschnig, Melissa. 2024. "Possession Or Posession โ€“ How To Spell It Correctly." BachelorPrint, Retrieved May 27, 2026. https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/spelling-mistakes/possession-or-posession/.

In-text citation

Parenthetical
(Gertschnig 2024)

Bibliography

Melissa Gertschnig, "Possession Or Posession โ€“ How To Spell It Correctly," BachelorPrint, March 24, 2024, https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/spelling-mistakes/possession-or-posession/ (retrieved May 27, 2026).

Footnotes

Short note
Gertschnig, "Shortened title."

Bibliography

Gertschnig, Melissa: Possession Or Posession โ€“ How To Spell It Correctly, in: BachelorPrint, 24/03/2024, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/spelling-mistakes/possession-or-posession/ (retrieved 26/05/2026).

Footnotes

Full note
Gertschnig, Melissa: Possession Or Posession โ€“ How To Spell It Correctly, in: BachelorPrint, 24/03/2024, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/spelling-mistakes/possession-or-posession/ (retrieved 26/05/2026).
Direct quote
Gertschnig, 2024.
Indirect quote
Gertschnig, 2024.

Bibliography

Gertschnig, Melissa (2024): Possession Or Posession โ€“ How To Spell It Correctly, in: BachelorPrint, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/spelling-mistakes/possession-or-posession/ (retrieved 26/05/2026).

In-text citation

Direct quote
(Gertschnig, 2024)
Indirect quote
(Gertschnig, 2024)
Narrative
Gertschnig (2024)

Bibliography

Gertschnig, Melissa. "Possession Or Posession โ€“ How To Spell It Correctly." BachelorPrint, 24/03/2024, https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/spelling-mistakes/possession-or-posession/ (retrieved 26/05/2026).

In-text citation

Parenthetical
(Gertschnig)
Narrative
Gertschnig

Bibliography

Number. Gertschnig M. Possession Or Posession โ€“ How To Spell It Correctly [Internet]. BachelorPrint. 2024 [cited 26/05/2026]. Available from: https://www.bachelorprint.com/au/spelling-mistakes/possession-or-posession/


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