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balance

/ˈbæləns/noun, verb

balance is spelled B-A-L-A-N-C-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 58 times per million words in written English, the 1,793rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, balance means “A state in which opposing forces harmonise; equilibrium” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of balance is balances.

How many letters and syllables are in balance?

Letters7: B-A-L-A-N-C-E
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing58 times per million words; the 1,793rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is balance?

Balance appears 58 times per million words in written English, the 1,793rd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce balance?

  • /ˈbæləns/

Balance has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-balance.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of balance

  • balances plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • balaunce
  • balancing participle, present
  • balanced participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does balance mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A state in which opposing forces harmonise; equilibrium.

  2. 2

    Mental equilibrium; mental health; calmness, a state of remaining clear-headed and unperturbed.

  3. 3

    Something of equal weight used to provide equilibrium; counterweight.

    These weights are used as a balance for the overhanging verandah.

  4. 4

    A pair of scales.

  5. 5

    Awareness of both viewpoints or matters; neutrality; rationality; objectivity.

  6. 6

    The overall result of conflicting forces, opinions etc.; the influence which ultimately "weighs" more than others.

    The balance of power finally lay with the Royalist forces.

  7. 7

    Apparent harmony in art (between differing colours, sounds, etc.).

  8. 8

    A list accounting for the debits on one side, and for the credits on the other.

verb

  1. 1

    To bring (items) to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights.

  2. 2

    To move while remaining balanced on a narrow or precarious support (e.g., a wire, ledge or rope).

    She balanced along the wire while the crowd watched in rapt attention.

  3. 3

    To make (concepts) agree.

  4. 4

    To hold (an object or objects) precariously; to support on a narrow base, so as to keep from falling.

    I balanced my mug of coffee on my knee.

  5. 5

    To compare in relative force, importance, value, etc.; to estimate.

  6. 6

    To move toward, and then back from, reciprocally.

    to balance partners

  7. 7

    To contract, as a sail, into a narrower compass.

    to balance the boom mainsail

  8. 8

    To make the credits and debits of (an account) correspond.

    to balance a set of books

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Balance in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchcontrepoids (something of equal weight used to provide…), équilibre (apparent harmony in art), solde (accounting: list of credits and debits), balancier (device that regulates the speed of a watch), équilibrer (to bring to equipoise), apurer (accounting: to make credits and debits…)
GermanBilanz, Saldo, Guthaben (accounting: list of credits and debits), balancieren (to bring to equipoise), Ausgewogenheit (awareness of both viewpoints), Rest (remainder)
Portuguesebalanço (accounting: list of credits and debits), equilibrar (to bring to equipoise), balancear (accounting: to make credits and debits…), equilíbrio (awareness of both viewpoints), saldo (difference between credit and debit of an…)
Spanishbalance (accounting: list of credits and debits), balancear, contrapesar, contrabalancear (to bring to equipoise), hacer balance (accounting: to make credits and debits…), equilibrio (awareness of both viewpoints)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does balance come from?

From Middle English balaunce, from Old French balance, from Late Latin *bilancia, from (accusative form of) Latin bilanx (“two-scaled”), from bi- + lanx (“plate, scale”). Displaced the word – Old English wǣġ akin to Modern English: wey from Proto-West Germanic *wāgu (“scales; weight”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after balance