benefice

/ˈbɛnɪfɪs/

//ˈbɛnɪfɪs// noun

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

"benefice" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“benefice” is uncommon English (frequency #64,921 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,921
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Land granted to a priest in a church that has a source of income attached to it.

Key facts for benefice
PropertyValue
Headwordbenefice
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɛnɪfɪs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#64,921
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “benefice” 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). benefice lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

benefice is uncommon English at frequency #64,921 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbɛnɪfɪs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for benefice, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French benefice, from Latin beneficium. The correct English form is benefice, spelled B-E-N-E-F-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Land granted to a priest in a church that has a source of income attached to it.
  2. 2
    A favour or benefit.
  3. 3
    An estate in lands; a fief.

Etymology

From Old French benefice, from Latin beneficium.

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 "benefice"?
"benefice" is spelled B-E-N-E-F-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɛnɪfɪs/.
What does "benefice" mean?
As a noun, "benefice" means: Land granted to a priest in a church that has a source of income attached to it.
How do you pronounce "benefice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "benefice" is /ˈbɛnɪfɪs/. 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 "benefice"?
From Old French benefice, from Latin beneficium. 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 “benefice”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-E-N-E-F-I-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɛnɪfɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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