balance

/ˈbæləns/

//ˈbæləns// noun

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

"balance" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“balance” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,782. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,782
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A state in which opposing forces harmonise; equilibrium.

Corpus desk

Index EN-balance · balance · English

balance · rank #1,782 · 11 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,782
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH apple

Nearest frequency peer: apple (-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 “balance”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “balance” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

balance vs blanc
71% similar
balance vs blanco
71% similar
balance vs Blanche
57% similar

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

Key facts for balance
PropertyValue
Headwordbalance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbæləns/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,782
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “balance”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “apple” (#1,781), “birthday” (#1,783), “alive” (#1,780). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “balance” is #1,782. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around balance (IPA /ˈbæləns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,782 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for balance, with forms such as "ablance", "baalnce", and "balacne". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "blanc", "blanco", "Blanche", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Italic *dwi- Latin bi- Latin lanx Latin bilanx Vulgar Latin *bilancia Old French balancebor. Middle English balaunce English balance From Middle English balaunce, from Old French bala… The correct English form is balance, spelled B-A-L-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  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.
  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.
  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.
  9. 9
    The result of such a procedure; the difference between credit and debit of an account.
  10. 10
    A device used to regulate the speed of a watch, clock etc.
  11. 11
    The remainder.
  12. 12
    Libra.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But civilized man is quite a different animal, and when he wipes out an entire city or levels a forest, he is no longer working within the natural balance of things.
  2. These weights are used as a balance for the overhanging verandah.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Italic *dwi- Latin bi- Latin lanx Latin bilanx Vulgar Latin *bilancia Old French balancebor. Middle English balaunce English balance 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”).

Synonyms

pair of scalesset of scalesscalesweighing machineweighbridgeequilibriumdisinteresteven-handednessfairnessimpartialityneutralitynonpartisanshipaccount

Antonyms

nonequilibriumimbalanceunbalancebiasfavorfavourpartialitypartisanshipprejudiceunfairness

This word in other languages

equilibrio(Español)contrepoids(Français)Bilanz(Deutsch)equilíbrio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ablance
  • baalnce
  • balacne
  • balancce
  • balanec
  • balannce
  • balence
  • ballance
  • balnace
  • bbalance
  • blaance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of balance - 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.

ablance2baalnce2balacne2balancce1balanec2balannce1balence1ballance1
Edit distance from "balance"

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 "balance"?
"balance" is spelled B-A-L-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbæləns/.
What does "balance" mean?
As a noun, "balance" means: A state in which opposing forces harmonise; equilibrium.
What words are commonly confused with "balance"?
"balance" is commonly confused with "blanc", "blanco", "Blanche". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "balance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "balance" is /ˈbæləns/. 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 "balance"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Italic *dwi- Latin bi- Latin lanx Latin bilanx Vulgar Latin *bilancia Old French balancebor. Middle English balaunce English balance From Middle English balaunce, from Old F... 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 "balance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

setting#1,773Florida#1,792knowing#1,794patient#1,769

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

possibly11 variantsbelieved11 variantsconcept11 variantsCharles11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list