Which to use
“since” is an adverb and “Spence” is a name - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #175
- “since” frequency rank
- #18,435
- “Spence” frequency rank
- 18610
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | since | Spence |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | From a specified time in the past. | Short form of the male given name Spencer. |
Where the eye mixes since and Spence
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between since and Spence
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: since is /sɪn(t)s/ while Spence is /ˈspɛns/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs name), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18610, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
since is recorded at frequency rank #175, classified as anadv, pronounced /sɪn(t)s/. Spence is at rank #18,435, tagged as aname, pronounced /ˈspɛns/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 18610, this pair ranks #443,742 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of since vs Spence
Shared letters: cens. Private to "since": i. Private to "Spence": p.
"since" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "Spence" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "since" for "Spence" ever safe?
Which is more common, "since" or "Spence"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "since" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Spence" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #443,742 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "since" and "Spence" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Spence vs Spenser". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #443,742 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.