ION Words: The Engine Room of English Vocabulary
If you stripped every -ION word from the English language, newspapers would become unreadable. ACTION, NATION, OPINION, DECISION, EDUCATION, TELEVISION — this suffix converts verbs into nouns at an industrial scale. The Latin suffix -IO (genitive -IONIS) entered English through French and never stopped producing new words. What's remarkable is how recent some of them are: GAMIFICATION, OPTIMIZATION, and MONETIZATION are 21st-century coinages that follow a pattern set two thousand years ago.
For crossword solvers, ION words cluster heavily in the 9-to-13 letter range. That makes them prime candidates for long across entries in standard grids. When you see a long crossword slot with -ION confirmed at the end, you can work backward from common patterns: -TION, -SION, -ATION, -ITION. Each sub-pattern narrows your search. TION alone accounts for over 1,800 entries, while SION covers another 250+. If you play Scrabble, the standalone word ION (3 points) is useful as a hook — adding it to existing words or extending a play by three tiles. The real Scrabble value of ION knowledge is recognizing when to extend a word like ACT into ACTION for the extra points.
Dig into the major sub-patterns: words ending in ER for the other big noun-making suffix, words ending in ED for verb forms, and words ending in L for adjectives. Also see words ending in OR — many OR words pair with ION words (act/actor/action).
FAQ
What's the difference between -TION and -SION endings?
Generally, -TION follows T, TE, or ATE stems (create → creation, educate → education). -SION follows D, DE, SE, or MIT stems (decide → decision, admit → admission). There are exceptions, but this rule covers most cases. Explore words ending in ER for another suffix that follows similar stem-based rules.
Are ION-ending words useful in Scrabble?
Moderately. ION itself is only 3 points, but converting ACTION (9 points) from ACT (5 points) nets you 4 extra points plus any board bonuses. The real value is in words like BASION (medical term, 8 points) and AMNION (embryology, 8 points) that other players won't challenge. For higher-scoring plays, pair ION knowledge with words ending in U and words ending in Q.
Why does English have so many ION words?
English absorbed thousands of Latin-French words during and after the Norman Conquest (1066), and the -ION suffix came along as a productive word-forming tool. Unlike many borrowed suffixes that stopped being productive, -ION continues generating new words today. Compare this with words ending in M, where Latin borrowings like STADIUM and MEDIUM followed a similar but less prolific pattern.
Three-Letter Words (1)
ION
Four-Letter Words (3)
CIONLIONPION
Five-Letter Words (8)
ANIONAVIONAXIONINIONONIONPRIONSCIONUNION
Six-Letter Words (35)
ACTIONAMNIONBASIONBUNIONCAMIONCATIONDURIONETHIONFANIONFUSIONGABIONGONIONKATIONLEGIONLESIONLOGIONLOTIONMINIONMORIONMOTIONNASIONNATIONNOTIONOPTIONPINIONPOTIONRATIONREGIONRONIONSOLIONTALIONTURIONVIRIONVISIONWANION
Seven-Letter Words (78)
ALATIONAMOTIONANTLIONAUCTIONBASTIONBILLIONBULLIONCAMPIONCAPTIONCARRIONCAUTIONCESSIONCHORIONCLARIONCOITIONCULLIONCUSHIONDICTIONEDITIONELATIONELISIONELUSIONELUTIONEMOTIONENATIONERASIONEROSIONEVASIONFACTIONFASHIONFERMIONFICTIONFISSIONFLEXIONFLUXIONGRUNIONHELLIONJILLIONLAMPIONLECTIONMANSIONMENTIONMILLIONMISSIONMORRIONMULLIONMUNNIONOPINIONORATIONOVATIONPACTIONPASSIONPENSIONPEREIONPILLIONPLOSIONPORTIONPULSIONRAMPIONREUNIONRUCTIONSECTIONSESSIONSTATIONSUASIONSUCTIONSYMBIONTACTIONTAMPIONTENSIONTERNIONTOMPIONTORSIONTUITIONUNCTIONVERSIONVIBRIONZILLION
Eight-Letter Words (164)
ABLATIONABLUTIONABORTIONABRASIONACROMIONADAPTIONADDITIONADHESIONADNATIONADOPTIONAERATIONAFFUSIONAGNATIONALLUSIONALLUVIONAMBITIONAPHELIONAUDITIONAVERSIONAVIATIONAVULSIONCHAMPIONCITATIONCOACTIONCOERCIONCOHESIONCONATIONCOOPTIONCREATIONDECISIONDECURIONDELATIONDELETIONDELUSIONDEMOTIONDERISIONDEVOTIONDILATIONDILUTIONDILUVIONDISUNIONDIVISIONDOMINIONDONATIONDOTATIONDURATIONECLOSIONEDUCTIONEFFUSIONEGESTIONEJECTIONELECTIONEMERSIONEMISSIONEMULSIONENVISIONEQUATIONERECTIONERUPTIONEVECTIONEVERSIONEVICTIONEVULSIONEXACTIONEXCISIONEXERTIONFALCHIONFENTHIONFETATIONFIXATIONFLECTIONFRACTIONFRICTIONFRUITIONFUNCTIONGANGLIONGELATIONGNATHIONGUMPTIONGYRATIONHALATIONHIMATIONIDEATIONIGNITIONILLATIONILLUSIONINACTIONINCISIONINFIXIONINFUSIONINHESIONINVASIONIODATIONJUNCTIONLAVATIONLAXATIONLEGATIONLENITIONLIBATIONLIGATION
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Nine-Letter Words (319)
ABDUCTIONABJECTIONABOLITIONABRUPTIONACCESSIONACCORDIONACCRETIONACTUATIONACYLATIONADDICTIONADDUCTIONADEMPTIONADMISSIONADORATIONADULATIONADVECTIONAFFECTIONAGITATIONANIMATIONANTHELIONANTHEMIONANTIUNIONAPPORTIONARCUATIONASCENSIONASPERSIONASSERTIONATTENTIONATTRITIONAVOCATIONBATTALIONBAZILLIONBIJECTIONBILECTIONBIOREGIONBISECTIONBOLECTIONCARBANIONCARNATIONCASEATIONCASSATIONCAUDATIONCAUSATIONCENTURIONCESSATIONCHALAZIONCHELATIONCILIATIONCLAVATIONCOALITIONCOGNATIONCOGNITIONCOLLATIONCOLLISIONCOLLODIONCOLLUSIONCOMMOTIONCOMMUNIONCOMPANIONCONCISIONCONDITIONCONFUSIONCONNATIONCONNEXIONCONTAGIONCONTUSIONCORRASIONCORROSIONCOTILLIONCREMATIONCRENATIONCRITERIONDAMNATIONDANDELIONDARNATIONDEALATIONDECEPTIONDECILLIONDECOCTIONDEDUCTIONDEFECTIONDEFLATIONDEFLEXIONDEJECTIONDEMISSIONDENTATIONDENTITIONDEPICTIONDEPLETIONDESERTIONDETECTIONDETENTIONDETRITIONDETRUSIONDEVIATIONDICTATIONDIFFUSIONDIGESTIONDIMENSIONDIRECTION
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Ten-Letter Words (402)
ABDICATIONABERRATIONABJURATIONABNEGATIONABREACTIONABROGATIONABSCISSIONABSOLUTIONABSORPTIONABSTENTIONACCUSATIONACTIVATIONADAPTATIONADJUNCTIONADJURATIONADMIRATIONADMONITIONADSORPTIONADVOCATIONAFFIXATIONAFFLICTIONAGGRESSIONALIENATIONALKYLATIONALLEGATIONALLOCATIONALLOCUTIONALTERATIONAMBULATIONAMMUNITIONAMPUTATIONANGULATIONANNEXATIONANNOTATIONANNULATIONAPPARITIONAPPOSITIONARROGATIONASCRIPTIONASPIRATIONASSUMPTIONATTRACTIONAUTOMATIONBILOCATIONBLOVIATIONBUTYLATIONCAPITATIONCASTRATIONCATENATIONCAVITATIONCENTILLIONCOAPTATIONCOCHAMPIONCOFUNCTIONCOGITATIONCOLLECTIONCOLORATIONCOMBUSTIONCOMMISSIONCOMPACTIONCOMPASSIONCOMPLETIONCOMPLEXIONCOMPULSIONCONCEPTIONCONCESSIONCONCLUSIONCONCOCTIONCONCRETIONCONCUSSIONCONDUCTIONCONFECTIONCONFESSIONCONFLATIONCONGESTIONCONNECTIONCONNIPTIONCONTENTIONCONTORTIONCONTRITIONCONVECTIONCONVENTIONCONVERSIONCONVICTIONCONVULSIONCOPULATIONCORONATIONCOROTATIONCORRECTIONCORRUPTIONCOUNTERIONCUMULATIONCUNCTATIONDEAERATIONDECIMATIONDECLENSIONDECORATIONDECRYPTIONDEDICATIONDEFAMATION
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Eleven-Letter Words (480)
ABOMINATIONABSTRACTIONACCEPTATIONACCLAMATIONACCLIMATIONACETYLATIONACIDULATIONACQUISITIONADUMBRATIONAESTIVATIONAFFECTATIONAFFILIATIONAFFIRMATIONAGGRADATIONAGGRAVATIONAGGREGATIONALLEVIATIONALTERCATIONALTERNATIONAMBIVERSIONAMMONIATIONANALYZATIONANODIZATIONANTIFASHIONANTIQUATIONAPPELLATIONAPPLICATIONAPPROBATIONARBITRATIONASSENTATIONASSIGNATIONASSOCIATIONATOMIZATIONATTENUATIONATTESTATIONATTRIBUTIONBENEDICTIONBENEFACTIONBIFURCATIONBIPARTITIONBOMBINATIONBOTHERATIONBRACHIATIONBRECCIATIONBROMINATIONCALCINATIONCALCULATIONCALIBRATIONCANCELATIONCAPTIVATIONCARBONATIONCARBURETIONCASTIGATIONCELEBRATIONCEMENTATIONCEREBRATIONCHRISMATIONCIRCULATIONCOAGULATIONCOARCTATIONCODIRECTIONCOEDUCATIONCOEVOLUTIONCOLLIGATIONCOLLIMATIONCOLLOCATIONCOMBINATIONCOMMINATIONCOMMINUTIONCOMMUTATIONCOMPETITIONCOMPILATIONCOMPOSITIONCOMPRESSIONCOMPUNCTIONCOMPUTATIONCONDONATIONCONFLICTIONCONFUTATIONCONGELATIONCONJUGATIONCONJUNCTIONCONJURATIONCONNOTATIONCONSECUTIONCONSOLATIONCONSUMPTIONCONTRACTIONCONTRAPTIONCONURBATIONCONVOCATIONCONVOLUTIONCOOPERATIONCORPORATIONCORRELATIONCORRUGATIONCORUSCATIONCOVARIATIONCRENELATIONCRENULATION
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Twelve-Letter Words (437)
ABBREVIATIONACCELERATIONACCENTUATIONACCUMULATIONADJUDICATIONADULTERATIONALDOLIZATIONALIMENTATIONALLITERATIONAMALGAMATIONAMELIORATIONAMORTIZATIONANNIHILATIONANNUNCIATIONANTIABORTIONANTICIPATIONANTIDILUTIONANTIFRICTIONANTIRELIGIONAPPERCEPTIONAPPRECIATIONAPPREHENSIONARBORIZATIONARTICULATIONASPHYXIATIONASSEVERATIONASSIMILATIONAUGMENTATIONAUSCULTATIONAUTOROTATIONAUTOXIDATIONBASIFICATIONBLASTULATIONCACHINNATIONCALUMNIATIONCANALIZATIONCANCELLATIONCANONIZATIONCANTILLATIONCAPACITATIONCAPITULATIONCHLORINATIONCIRCUMCISIONCIRCUMFUSIONCITIFICATIONCIVILISATIONCIVILIZATIONCLAUDICATIONCOACERVATIONCOADAPTATIONCODIFICATIONCOGENERATIONCOHABITATIONCOLONISATIONCOLONIZATIONCOLORIZATIONCOLUMNIATIONCOMMENDATIONCOMPELLATIONCOMPENSATIONCOMPLEXATIONCOMPLICATIONCOMPURGATIONCONCILIATIONCONDEMNATIONCONDENSATIONCONFIRMATIONCONFISCATIONCONFORMATIONCONGLOBATIONCONGREGATIONCONSCRIPTIONCONSECRATIONCONSERVATIONCONSIGNATIONCONSOCIATIONCONSPIRATIONCONSTIPATIONCONSTITUTIONCONSTRICTIONCONSTRUCTIONCONSULTATIONCONSUMMATIONCONTESTATIONCONTINUATIONCONTRIBUTIONCONVERSATIONCOORDINATIONCOPRODUCTIONCRENELLATIONCREOLIZATIONCURARIZATIONDEACTIVATIONDEBILITATIONDECAPITATIONDECELERATIONDECOMMISSIONDECONGESTIONDEFLAGRATIONDEGENERATION
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Thirteen-Letter Words (400)
ACCOMMODATIONACCREDITATIONACCULTURATIONACCUSTOMATIONACETIFICATIONACIDIFICATIONACTUALIZATIONAFFORESTATIONAGGLOMERATIONAGGLUTINATIONAMPLIFICATIONANGLICIZATIONANIMADVERSIONANIMALIZATIONANTICOLLISIONANTICORROSIONANTIEVOLUTIONANTIPOLLUTIONANTIRECESSIONANTIREJECTIONAPPROPRIATIONAPPROXIMATIONARABICIZATIONARGUMENTATIONAROMATIZATIONASSASSINATIONAUTHORIZATIONAUTOINFECTIONBACTERIZATIONBALKANIZATIONBARBARIZATIONBEATIFICATIONBENEFICIATIONBIOCONVERSIONBRUTALIZATIONCALCIFICATIONCAPRIFICATIONCARBONIZATIONCARBONYLATIONCARBOXYLATIONCARBURIZATIONCARTELIZATIONCATECHIZATIONCAUTERIZATIONCEPHALIZATIONCERTIFICATIONCHEMISORPTIONCICATRIZATIONCIRCUMVENTIONCLARIFICATIONCOALIFICATIONCOCAINIZATIONCOCULTIVATIONCOLLABORATIONCOMMEMORATIONCOMMISERATIONCOMMUNICATIONCOMMUNIZATIONCOMPREHENSIONCONCATENATIONCONCENTRATIONCONDESCENSIONCONFABULATIONCONFEDERATIONCONFIGURATIONCONFLAGRATIONCONFRONTATIONCONSIDERATIONCONSOLIDATIONCONSTELLATIONCONSTERNATIONCONTAMINATIONCONTEMPLATIONCONTRACEPTIONCONTRADICTIONCONTRAVENTIONCORNIFICATIONCORROBORATIONCOUNTERACTIONCYCLOADDITIONDANDIFICATIONDECARBONATIONDECEREBRATIONDECOMPOSITIONDECOMPRESSIONDECORTICATIONDECREPITATIONDEFIBRINATIONDEFORESTATIONDEGRANULATIONDEMONSTRATIONDEMYELINATIONDENSIFICATIONDENTICULATIONDEODORIZATIONDEOXYGENATIONDEREALIZATIONDESEGREGATIONDETERIORATIONDETERMINATION
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Fourteen-Letter Words (301)
ADMINISTRATIONAEROSOLIZATIONALKALINIZATIONALLEGORIZATIONAMMONIFICATIONANTIAGGRESSIONANTICORRUPTIONANTIDEFAMATIONANTIDEPRESSIONANTIREFLECTIONANTISUBVERSIONAUTHENTICATIONAUTOMATIZATIONAUTOSUGGESTIONAXIOMATISATIONAXIOMATIZATIONBASTARDIZATIONBEAUTIFICATIONBIODEGRADATIONBIOREMEDIATIONBIPOLARIZATIONBITUMINIZATIONBLAXPLOITATIONBOWDLERIZATIONCAPITALIZATIONCATEGORIZATIONCENTRALIZATIONCENTRIFUGATIONCHANNELIZATIONCHEMORECEPTIONCIRCUMLOCUTIONCIRCUMSPECTIONCIRCUMVOLUTIONCLASSIFICATIONCOMMENSURATIONCONCELEBRATIONCONCRETIZATIONCONGLOMERATIONCONGLUTINATIONCONGRATULATIONCONTRAPOSITIONCOTRANSDUCTIONDECHLORINATIONDECIMALIZATIONDECOLONIZATIONDECOLORIZATIONDECOMPENSATIONDECONSECRATIONDECONSTRUCTIONDEFEMINIZATIONDEFENESTRATIONDEFIBRILLATIONDEHUMANIZATIONDELEGITIMATIONDELOCALIZATIONDEMOBILIZATIONDEMONETIZATIONDEMORALIZATIONDENAZIFICATIONDEPIGMENTATIONDEPOLARIZATIONDERIVATIZATIONDESALINIZATIONDETOXIFICATIONDIGITALIZATIONDISAFFILIATIONDISAGGREGATIONDISAMBIGUATIONDISAPPROBATIONDISASSOCIATIONDISCONSOLATIONDISCRIMINATIONDISEMBARKATIONDISINCLINATIONDISINFESTATIONDISINFORMATIONDISINTEGRATIONDISORIENTATIONDOLOMITIZATIONEMULSIFICATIONENVENOMIZATIONEPITHELIZATIONESTERIFICATIONEUTROPHICATIONEVANGELIZATIONEXPONENTIATIONEXSANGUINATIONFANTASTICATIONFEDERALIZATIONFICTIONIZATIONFOREORDINATIONFRATERNIZATIONFRUCTIFICATIONGELATINIZATIONGENERALISATIONGENERALIZATIONGENTRIFICATIONGEOMETRIZATIONGRAPHITIZATIONHOMOGENISATION
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Fifteen-Letter Words (194)
ACCLIMATIZATIONALPHABETIZATIONANTISEGREGATIONANTISPECULATIONANTIVIVISECTIONAUTOCORRELATIONAUTOTRANSFUSIONCANNIBALIZATIONCATHETERIZATIONCIRCULARIZATIONCIRCUMSCRIPTIONCIRCUMVALLATIONCIVILIANIZATIONCODETERMINATIONCOMMODIFICATIONCOMPLEMENTATIONCOMPUTERIZATIONCONVEYORIZATIONCOUNTERPETITIONCOUNTERQUESTIONCOUNTERREACTIONCRIMINALIZATIONCRYSTALLIZATIONCYANOETHYLATIONDEACIDIFICATIONDECALCIFICATIONDECARBOXYLATIONDECARBURIZATIONDECASUALIZATIONDECERTIFICATIONDECONCENTRATIONDECONTAMINATIONDEGLAMORIZATIONDEHYDROGENATIONDEMAGNETIZATIONDEMOCRATIZATIONDEMYSTIFICATIONDENITRIFICATIONDESACRALIZATIONDESENSITIZATIONDESERTIFICATIONDESEXUALIZATIONDESTABILIZATIONDESULFURIZATIONDETRIBALIZATIONDEVITRIFICATIONDIAGONALIZATIONDICHOTOMIZATIONDIFFERENTIATIONDISARTICULATIONDISCONTINUATIONDISINTOXICATIONDISORGANIZATIONDISSATISFACTIONDIVERSIFICATIONELECTRIFICATIONETHEREALIZATIONEXCOMMUNICATIONEXEMPLIFICATIONEXPERIMENTATIONEXTEMPORISATIONEXTEMPORIZATIONEXTERIORIZATIONEXTERNALISATIONEXTERNALIZATIONFAMILIARIZATIONFORMULARIZATIONFRENCHIFICATIONHOSPITALIZATIONHYPERCORRECTIONHYPERINVOLUTIONHYPERPRODUCTIONHYPERSALIVATIONHYPOSTATIZATIONIMMORTALIZATIONIMMUNODIFFUSIONINCOMPREHENSIONINCONSIDERATIONINDEMNIFICATIONINDETERMINATIONINFANTILIZATIONINSTRUMENTATIONINSUBORDINATIONINTENSIFICATIONINTERCONNECTIONINTERCONVERSIONINTERDIGITATIONINTERGENERATIONINTERIORIZATIONINTERMODULATIONINTERNALIZATIONINTERPOPULATIONINTERVISITATIONINTRAPOPULATIONINTUSSUSCEPTIONLATENSIFICATIONMALDISTRIBUTIONMARGINALIZATIONMASCULINIZATIONMATERIALIZATION
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