competence

/ˈkɒm.pə.təns/

//ˈkɒm.pə.təns// noun

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

"competence" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“competence” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,307 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,307
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

competence vs competent
80% similar
competence vs competency
90% similar

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

Key facts for competence
PropertyValue
Headwordcompetence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒm.pə.təns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#13,307
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “competence” 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). competence 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 competence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒm.pə.təns/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,307 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 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for competence, with forms such as "ccompetence", "cmopetence", and "comeptence". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "competent", "competency", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French compétence, from Late Latin competentia. Doublet of competency. The correct English form is competence, spelled C-O-M-P-E-T-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role.
  2. 2
    The quality or state of being able or suitable for a particular task; the quality or state of being competent for a particular task or skill.
  3. 3
    The system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language, as opposed to its actual use in concrete situations (performance), cf. linguistic competence.
  4. 4
    A sustainable income.
  5. 5
    the legal authority to deal with a matter.
  6. 6
    The degree to which a rock is resistant to deformation or flow.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French compétence, from Late Latin competentia. Doublet of competency.

Synonyms

abilitycompetencynoussavoir-faireknackaptitude

Antonyms

inabilityineptitudeincompetence

This word in other languages

competencia(Español)compétence(Français)Kompetenz(Deutsch)competência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccompetence,cmopetence,comeptence,commpetence,compeetnce,competance,competecne,competencce,competenec,competennce,competnece,compettence,comppetence,compteence,copmetence,ocmpetence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccompetence1cmopetence2comeptence2commpetence1compeetnce2competance1competecne2competencce1
Edit distance from "competence"

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 "competence"?
"competence" is spelled C-O-M-P-E-T-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒm.pə.təns/.
What does "competence" mean?
As a noun, "competence" means: The quality or state of being competent, i.e. able or suitable for a general role.
What words are commonly confused with "competence"?
"competence" is commonly confused with "competent", "competency". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "competence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "competence" is /ˈkɒm.pə.təns/. 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 "competence"?
Borrowed from Middle French compétence, from Late Latin competentia. Doublet of competency. 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 “competence”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-P-E-T-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɒm.pə.təns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “competent” - see the side-by-side comparison. competence vs competent
  • 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