acquittance

/əˈkwɪtəns/

//əˈkwɪtəns// noun

"acquittance" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“acquittance” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A writing which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in full, which bars a further demand.

Corpus desk

Index EN-acquittance · acquittance · English

acquittance · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for acquittance
PropertyValue
Headwordacquittance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈkwɪtəns/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “acquittance” in English

acquittancefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

acquittance is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /əˈkwɪtəns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for acquittance in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman acquitance, Middle French aquitance, from acquiter (“to acquit”). Compare later acquittal. The correct English form is acquittance, spelled A-C-Q-U-I-T-T-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A writing which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in full, which bars a further demand.
  2. 2
    Payment of debt; settlement.
  3. 3
    The release from a debt, or from some obligation or duty; exemption.
  4. 4
    The dismissal of a legal charge against someone; acquittal.
  5. 5
    The acquittal of one's duties; the carrying out of fulfilment of a job or role.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. You can produce acquittances / For such a sum, from special officers.
  2. This was a task more difficult than that of self acquittance.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman acquitance, Middle French aquitance, from acquiter (“to acquit”). Compare later acquittal.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "acquittance"?
"acquittance" is spelled A-C-Q-U-I-T-T-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈkwɪtəns/.
What does "acquittance" mean?
As a noun, "acquittance" means: A writing which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in full, which bars a further demand.
How do you pronounce "acquittance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "acquittance" is /əˈkwɪtəns/. 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 "acquittance"?
From Anglo-Norman acquitance, Middle French aquitance, from acquiter (“to acquit”). Compare later acquittal. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list