avoidance

/əˈvɔɪdəns/

//əˈvɔɪdəns// noun

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

"avoidance" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“avoidance” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,070 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,070
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of avoiding or shunning; keeping clear of.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

avoidance vs avoidable
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for avoidance
PropertyValue
Headwordavoidance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈvɔɪdəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#14,070
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “avoidance” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for avoidance is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈvɔɪdəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,070 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for avoidance, with forms such as "aovidance", "aviodance", and "avodiance". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "avoidable", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English avoidaunce, from avoid + -ance. The correct English form is avoidance, spelled A-V-O-I-D-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of avoiding or shunning; keeping clear of.
  2. 2
    The act of annulling; annulment.
  3. 3
    The act of becoming vacant, or the state of being vacant, specifically used for the state of a benefice becoming void by the death, deprivation, or resignation of the incumbent.
  4. 4
    The act of dismissing a person.
  5. 5
    The act of quitting a position or benefice.
  6. 6
    The course by which anything (especially water) is carried off.

Etymology

From Middle English avoidaunce, from avoid + -ance.

This word in other languages

evitación(Español)évitement(Français)Vermeidung(Deutsch)evasão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aovidance,aviodance,avodiance,avoiadnce,avoidacne,avoidancce,avoidanec,avoidannce,avoiddance,avoidence,avoidnace,avvoidance,vaoidance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of avoidance - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

aovidance2aviodance2avodiance2avoiadnce2avoidacne2avoidancce1avoidanec2avoidannce1
Edit distance from "avoidance"

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 "avoidance"?
"avoidance" is spelled A-V-O-I-D-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈvɔɪdəns/.
What does "avoidance" mean?
As a noun, "avoidance" means: The act of avoiding or shunning; keeping clear of.
What words are commonly confused with "avoidance"?
"avoidance" is commonly confused with "avoidable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "avoidance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "avoidance" is /əˈvɔɪdəns/. 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 "avoidance"?
From Middle English avoidaunce, from avoid + -ance. 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.

Using “avoidance”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-V-O-I-D-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈvɔɪdəns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “avoidable” - see the side-by-side comparison. avoidance vs avoidable
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list