coherence

/kəʊˈhɪəɹ.ən(t)s/

//kəʊˈhɪəɹ.ən(t)s// noun

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

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

The verdict

“coherence” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,708 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#25,708
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The quality of cohering, or being coherent; internal consistency.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

coherence vs coherent
78% similar
coherence vs conference
80% similar

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

Key facts for coherence
PropertyValue
Headwordcoherence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəʊˈhɪəɹ.ən(t)s/
Letters9
Frequency rank#25,708
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “coherence” 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). coherence 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 coherence is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəʊˈhɪəɹ.ən(t)s/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,708 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for coherence, with forms such as "ccoherence", "choerence", and "coehrence". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "coherent", "conference", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French coherence, from Latin cohaerentia. By surface analysis, cohere + -ence. The correct English form is coherence, spelled C-O-H-E-R-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality of cohering, or being coherent; internal consistency.
  2. 2
    The quality of forming a unified whole.
  3. 3
    A logical arrangement of parts, as in writing.
  4. 4
    The property of having the same wavelength and phase.
  5. 5
    A semantic relationship between different parts of the same text.

Etymology

From Middle French coherence, from Latin cohaerentia. By surface analysis, cohere + -ence.

Synonyms

coherency

Antonyms

incoherence

This word in other languages

coherencia(Español)cohérence(Français)Kohärenz(Deutsch)coerência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccoherence,choerence,coehrence,coheernce,coherance,coherecne,coherencce,coherenec,coherennce,cohernece,coherrence,cohherence,cohreence,ocherence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of coherence - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ccoherence1choerence2coehrence2coheernce2coherance1coherecne2coherencce1coherenec2
Edit distance from "coherence"

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 "coherence"?
"coherence" is spelled C-O-H-E-R-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəʊˈhɪəɹ.ən(t)s/.
What does "coherence" mean?
As a noun, "coherence" means: The quality of cohering, or being coherent; internal consistency.
What words are commonly confused with "coherence"?
"coherence" is commonly confused with "coherent", "conference". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "coherence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coherence" is /kəʊˈhɪəɹ.ən(t)s/. 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 "coherence"?
From Middle French coherence, from Latin cohaerentia. By surface analysis, cohere + -ence. 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 “coherence”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-H-E-R-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kəʊˈhɪəɹ.ən(t)s/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “coherent” - see the side-by-side comparison. coherence vs coherent
  • 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