abstinence

/ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/

//ˈæb.stɪ.nəns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“abstinence” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,875. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,875
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.

Corpus desk

Index EN-abstinence · abstinence · English

abstinence · rank #22,875 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,875
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH academically

Nearest frequency peer: academically (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “abstinence”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “abstinence” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for abstinence
PropertyValue
Headwordabstinence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#22,875
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “abstinence”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “academically” (#22,876), “aborted” (#22,873), “Zulu” (#22,870). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “abstinence” is #22,875. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around abstinence (IPA /ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,875 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for abstinence, with forms such as "abbstinence", "absitnence", and "absstinence". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English abstinence, from Old French abstinence, from Latin abstinentia, from abstinēns, present participle of abstineō (“I withhold”). Equivalent to abstain + -ence. The correct English form is abstinence, spelled A-B-S-T-I-N-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.
  2. 2
    The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.
  3. 3
    The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.
  4. 4
    The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.
  5. 5
    The practice of self-denial; self-restraint; forebearance from anything.
  6. 6
    Self-denial; abstaining; or forebearance of anything.
  7. 7
    Delay of spending to accrue capital.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonyms: abstentiousness, abstemiousness
  2. Penance, Faſts, and Abſtinence, / To puniſh Bodies for the Souls offence.

Etymology

From Middle English abstinence, from Old French abstinence, from Latin abstinentia, from abstinēns, present participle of abstineō (“I withhold”). Equivalent to abstain + -ence.

This word in other languages

vigilia(Español)abstinence(Français)Enthaltsamkeit(Deutsch)abstinência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abbstinence
  • absitnence
  • absstinence
  • abstiennce
  • abstinance
  • abstinecne
  • abstinencce
  • abstinenec
  • abstinennce
  • abstinnece
  • abstinnence
  • abstnience
  • absttinence
  • abtsinence
  • asbtinence
  • bastinence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of abstinence - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

abbstinence1absitnence2absstinence1abstiennce2abstinance1abstinecne2abstinencce1abstinenec2
Edit distance from "abstinence"

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 "abstinence"?
"abstinence" is spelled A-B-S-T-I-N-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/.
What does "abstinence" mean?
As a noun, "abstinence" means: The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.
What are common misspellings of "abstinence"?
Common misspellings include "abbstinence", "absitnence", "absstinence", "abstiennce", "abstinance". The correct spelling is "abstinence".
How do you pronounce "abstinence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abstinence" is /ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/. 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 "abstinence"?
From Middle English abstinence, from Old French abstinence, from Latin abstinentia, from abstinēns, present participle of abstineō (“I withhold”). Equivalent to abstain + -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 "abstinence", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

adventurer#22,880sweatshirt#22,834stagnation#22,825scholastic#22,806

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

academically16 variantsbachelorette16 variantsdispersion16 variantsrepentance16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list