condolence

/kənˈdoʊləns/

//kənˈdoʊləns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“condolence” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #37,861 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#37,861
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Comfort, support or sympathy.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

condolence vs condolences
91% similar

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

Key facts for condolence
PropertyValue
Headwordcondolence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kənˈdoʊləns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#37,861
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “condolence” 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). condolence 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 condolence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈdoʊləns/. Corpus data places it at rank #37,861 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 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 condolence, with forms such as "ccondolence", "cnodolence", and "codnolence". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "condolences", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From condole + -ence, or from Middle French condoléance, or formed from the root of Latin condoleō (“I sympathize”), from con- (“together, with”) and doleō (“I hurt, suffer, have pain”). The correct English form is condolence, spelled C-O-N-D-O-L-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Comfort, support or sympathy.
  2. 2
    An expression of comfort, support, or sympathy offered to the family and friends of somebody who has died.

Etymology

From condole + -ence, or from Middle French condoléance, or formed from the root of Latin condoleō (“I sympathize”), from con- (“together, with”) and doleō (“I hurt, suffer, have pain”).

This word in other languages

pésame(Español)réconfort(Français)Beileid(Deutsch)condolência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccondolence,cnodolence,codnolence,conddolence,condloence,condoelnce,condolance,condolecne,condolencce,condolenec,condolennce,condollence,condolnece,conndolence,conodlence,ocndolence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of condolence - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccondolence1cnodolence2codnolence2conddolence1condloence2condoelnce2condolance1condolecne2
Edit distance from "condolence"

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 "condolence"?
"condolence" is spelled C-O-N-D-O-L-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈdoʊləns/.
What does "condolence" mean?
As a noun, "condolence" means: Comfort, support or sympathy.
What words are commonly confused with "condolence"?
"condolence" is commonly confused with "condolences". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "condolence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "condolence" is /kənˈdoʊləns/. 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 "condolence"?
From condole + -ence, or from Middle French condoléance, or formed from the root of Latin condoleō (“I sympathize”), from con- (“together, with”) and doleō (“I hurt, suffer, have pain”). 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 “condolence”

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

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