Submission is the correct spelling. Submittion is not a real word and doesn’t appear in any standard English dictionary. The confusion happens because the verb “submit” ends in “-mit,” which makes “-ttion” look like a logical next step — but English changes “-mit” to “-mission,” not “-mittion,” when forming the noun.
Quick Answer: Is It Submission or Submittion?
| Submission | Submittion | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Correct | Incorrect (not a word) |
| Part of speech | Noun | — |
| Example | She emailed her submission before the deadline. | ~~She emailed her submittion before the deadline.~~ |
Correct: The journal accepted his submission for the fall issue. Incorrect: The journal accepted his submittion for the fall issue.
What Does Submission Mean?
Submission has a few related meanings, and the right one depends on context.
The most common meaning is the act of handing in or presenting something for review, such as an application, a manuscript, or a form. Example: Please double-check your submission before you send it.
A second meaning describes yielding to someone else’s authority or control. Example: The negotiations ended in the smaller company’s submission to the buyout terms.
A third meaning, used in law and formal writing, refers to an argument or statement presented to a judge or arbitrator, or to a formal agreement to accept an arbitrator’s decision.
A fourth meaning, common in combat sports, refers to a hold or technique that forces an opponent to give up. Example: He won the match by submission in the second round.
Why Is “Submittion” Incorrect?
“Submittion” is tempting to write because the base verb, “submit,” already ends in “-mit,” and adding “-tion” seems like the natural move — the way “act” becomes “action.” But “submit” belongs to a different pattern of English verbs, and those follow their own noun-forming rule, explained below.
Word Origin: Where “Submission” Comes From
Submission entered English in the 14th century through Anglo-French, tracing back to the Latin submissio, meaning “an act of lowering,” which comes from the verb submittere. That Latin root is also the reason the double “t” in “submit” turns into “ss” rather than staying as “tt” when the word becomes a noun — the sound shifted through Latin and French before settling into the English spelling we use today.
Pronunciation and Syllables of Submission
Submission is pronounced /səbˈmɪʃən/ and has three syllables: sub-MIS-sion. The stress falls on the second syllable, “mis.” American and British pronunciations are essentially the same for this word, so there’s no UK/US distinction to worry about here.
Spelling Rule: Why It’s “-ssion,” Not “-ttion”
A number of English verbs that end in “-mit” form their noun by changing to “-mission” instead of adding “-tion” directly. This isn’t a rule you can apply to every English verb — it’s specific to this group of Latin-derived “-mit” verbs. A few parallel examples:
- permit → permission
- admit → admission
- commit → commission
- omit → omission
- transmit → transmission
Submit follows the same family pattern: submit → submission. There’s no version of this word where the “t” doubles into “-ttion.”
Word Forms of Submission: Submit, Submitted, Submitting, Submissive
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Base verb | submit | Please submit your form by Friday. |
| Past tense / participle | submitted | She submitted the report yesterday. |
| Present participle | submitting | He is submitting his thesis this week. |
| Noun | submission | The submission arrived on time. |
| Plural noun | submissions | The magazine reviews hundreds of submissions each month. |
| Adjective | submissive | The dog gave a submissive whine when scolded. |
| Adverb | submissively | She nodded submissively and left the room. |
Similar spelling confusion happens with really vs. realy, where pronunciation causes writers to leave out a necessary letter.
Submission vs Submissive: Noun vs Adjective
Submission is a noun — it names a thing or an act (“the submission”). Submissive is an adjective — it describes a quality (“a submissive tone”). They share a root but do different jobs in a sentence: His submission was late (noun) versus His tone was submissive (adjective).
Common Misspellings of Submission (and Why They Happen)
The most frequent misspelling is submittion, caused by mentally doubling the “t” from “submit” and adding “-tion.” A close second is submition, which drops a letter and mixes up the “ss” for a single “s.” Both errors come from the same source: trying to build the noun straight from the spelling of “submit” instead of following the “-mission” pattern.
Other Common Misspellings (“Submition,” “Sumission,” “Submision”)
- Submition — missing an “s”; correct form is submission
- Sumission — missing the “b”; correct form is submission
- Submision — missing an “s” before “ion”; correct form is submission
None of these variants appear in standard dictionaries. If you see any of them in your writing, replace them with “submission.”
Submission vs Similar Words: Submittal and Application
Submission vs Submittal
Submission and submittal both come from “submit,” but they aren’t used the same way. Submission is the everyday, general-purpose word — it works in academic, legal, creative, and casual contexts. Submittal is a narrower, technical term used mainly in construction, engineering, and government contract work to describe a specific document, like a shop drawing or product data sheet, sent for approval before work proceeds.
Example: The architect requested a formal submittal of the steel specifications (construction context) versus She made her short-story submission to the literary magazine (creative context). The two words aren’t fully interchangeable — using “submittal” outside technical fields can sound unnatural.
Submission vs Application
An application is a formal request, often for a job, a program, a loan, or membership — it typically involves filling out a specific form. A submission is broader: it’s simply the act of sending something in for review, which could be an application, but could also be a manuscript, a design, or a proposal. Every application involves a submission, but not every submission is an application.
Example: He completed his job application and then submitted it before the deadline — here, “application” is the document, and “submitted” is the action of sending it in.
Another commonly confused spelling is dysregulated vs. disregulated, where writers mix up the prefixes dys- and dis-.
How “Submission” Is Used in Real Life: Academic, Legal, and Professional Contexts
Academic Submissions
Students and researchers use “submission” for assignments, essays, and papers turned in for grading or publication. Example: Late submissions will lose 10% per day.
Legal Submissions
In legal writing, a submission can be a formal argument made to a judge, or a signed agreement to let an arbitrator settle a dispute. Example: Both parties filed their submissions with the court before the hearing.
Business and Creative Submissions
In business and the arts, submission usually refers to proposals, manuscripts, designs, or applications sent to a company, publisher, or contest. Example: The design agency reviews client submissions every Monday.
Example Sentences Using Submission
- The scholarship requires online submission of your transcript and essay.
- Her poetry submission was accepted by the literary journal.
- The company’s bid submission arrived just before the deadline.
- The board reviewed the committee’s submission before voting.
- Employees must complete timesheet submission by 5 p.m. Friday.
Correct: I finished my grant submission last night. Incorrect: I finished my grant submittion last night. Explanation: “Submittion” isn’t a recognized spelling in any English dictionary; “submission” is the only correct form.
Memory Trick to Never Misspell Submission Again
Here’s a simple learning aid, not an official grammar rule: think of “submission” as containing the word “mission.” You’re sending your work on a mission for approval — sub + mission = submission. If you picture the double “s” as the letter pair that carries the word’s “mission,” it’s easier to remember there’s no “tt” involved.
Practice Exercises: Test Your Understanding
- Choose the correct spelling: The gallery accepted her ______ (submission / submittion) for the art show.
- Fill in the blank: He ______ (submit / submitted) his resignation letter yesterday.
- Correct the sentence: “Please send your submittion by email.”
- Identify the noun or verb: In the sentence “They will submit the proposal tomorrow,” is “submit” a noun or a verb?
- Choose the correct word form: Her behavior was completely ______ (submission / submissive) during the training session.
- Choose between similar words: The engineer prepared the ______ (submittal / submission) of the blueprint for city approval.
- Fill in the blank: The magazine receives thousands of ______ (submission / submissions) each year.
- Correct the sentence: “The judge reviewed both party’s submitions carefully.”
Answer Key
- submission — “submittion” is not a real word.
- submitted — past tense of the verb “submit.”
- “Please send your submission by email.” — corrects the non-word “submittion.”
- Verb — “submit” functions as an action word in this sentence.
- submissive — the adjective form is needed to describe behavior.
- submittal — the technical, construction-specific term fits this context.
- submissions — plural noun form, since “thousands” indicates more than one.
- “The judge reviewed both parties’ submissions carefully.” — corrects both the misspelling and the possessive form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “submittion” ever an acceptable spelling in informal writing?
No. “Submittion” isn’t recognized in any standard or informal English dictionary. Even in casual writing, “submission” is the only correct form.
What is the noun form of the verb “submit”?
The noun form is “submission.” It refers to the act of submitting something or to the item that was submitted.
Why do so many people misspell “submission” as “submittion”?
Because the base verb “submit” ends in “-mit,” writers often assume the noun should double the “t” and add “-tion.” Instead, English shifts “-mit” verbs to “-mission” in their noun form.
Is “submission” countable or uncountable?
It can be both. As an uncountable noun, it refers to the general act of submitting (“the submission of documents”). As a countable noun, it refers to individual items sent in (“we received 50 submissions”).
What’s the difference between “submission” and “submittal”?
Submission is the general, all-purpose word used across academic, creative, legal, and everyday contexts. Submittal is a narrower term mostly used in construction and engineering for specific approval documents.
When should I use “submission” vs “application”?
Use “application” for a formal request tied to a specific form, like a job or program application. Use “submission” for the broader act of sending something in for review, which can include an application among other things.
What is the plural of “submission”?
The plural is “submissions,” as in “the contest received over 200 submissions.”
Does “submission” have more than one meaning?
Yes. It can mean presenting something for review, yielding to authority, a formal legal argument or agreement, or, in combat sports, a match-ending hold.
How do you pronounce “submission”?
It’s pronounced /səbˈmɪʃən/, with three syllables and the stress on the second syllable: sub-MIS-sion.
What is the adjective form of “submission”?
The adjective form is “submissive,” used to describe behavior or attitude, as in “a submissive posture.”
Is “submission” used the same way in legal and academic writing?
The core meaning stays consistent — presenting something for review — but legal writing also uses it for formal arguments to a court or agreements to accept an arbitrator’s ruling, meanings that don’t typically apply in academic contexts.
Can “submission” refer to a martial arts move?
Yes. In combat sports like MMA and jiu-jitsu, a submission is a hold or technique that forces an opponent to concede the match.
Getting the Spelling Right for Good
Submission is the only correct spelling — submittion doesn’t exist in English. The mix-up happens because “submit” seems to invite a direct “-tion” ending, but the noun follows the same “-mit → -mission” pattern as permit, admit, and commit. Remember that “mission” hides inside “submission,” and the spelling will stop tripping you up.
