abhorrence

/əbˈhɒɹ.n̩(t)s/

//əbˈhɒɹ.n̩(t)s// noun

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

"abhorrence" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“abhorrence” is uncommon English (frequency #75,590 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,590
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Extreme aversion or detestation; the feeling of utter dislike or loathing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-abhorrence · abhorrence · English

abhorrence · rank #75,590 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,590
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH ableism

Nearest frequency peer: ableism (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “abhorrence”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “abhorrence” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for abhorrence
PropertyValue
Headwordabhorrence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əbˈhɒɹ.n̩(t)s/
Letters10
Frequency rank#75,590
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “abhorrence” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).abhorrencefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “ableism” (#75,591), “abracadabra” (#75,593), “accessorize” (#75,595). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “abhorrence” is #75,590. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

abhorrence is uncommon English at frequency #75,590 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /əbˈhɒɹ.n̩(t)s/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for abhorrence, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From abhorrent + -ence. The correct English form is abhorrence, spelled A-B-H-O-R-R-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Extreme aversion or detestation; the feeling of utter dislike or loathing.
  2. 2
    An expression of abhorrence, in particular any of the parliamentary addresses dictated towards Charles II.
  3. 3
    A person or thing that is loathsome; a detested thing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how abhorrence appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. My abhorrence of this fiend cannot be conceived.
  2. The recognition of what pollutes evidently reflects deep-seated abhorrences, whose cause and origin are difficult to discover.

Etymology

From abhorrent + -ence.

Synonyms

abhorrition

This word in other languages

aborrecimiento(Español)aversion(Français)Abscheu(Deutsch)aversão(Português)

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "abhorrence"?
"abhorrence" is spelled A-B-H-O-R-R-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈhɒɹ.n̩(t)s/.
What does "abhorrence" mean?
As a noun, "abhorrence" means: Extreme aversion or detestation; the feeling of utter dislike or loathing.
How do you pronounce "abhorrence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abhorrence" is /əbˈhɒɹ.n̩(t)s/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "abhorrence"?
From abhorrent + -ence. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "abhorrence", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

waterslide#75,550warranting#75,549urinalysis#75,532beneficent#75,652

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list