confidence

/ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/

//ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“confidence” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,247 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,247
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Self-assurance.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

confidence vs confident
80% similar
confidence vs confluence
80% similar
confidence vs conference
80% similar

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

Key facts for confidence
PropertyValue
Headwordconfidence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#2,247
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “confidence” 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). confidence 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 confidence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,247 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 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 confidence, with forms such as "cconfidence", "cnofidence", and "cofnidence". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "confident", "confluence", "conference", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English confidence, from Latin cōnfīdentia (possibly via Old French confidence), from cōnfīdō (“believe, confide in”) from con- (“with”) + fīdō (“trust”). By surface analysis, confide + ence. The correct English form is confidence, spelled C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Self-assurance.
  2. 2
    A feeling of certainty; firm trust or belief; faith.
  3. 3
    Information held in secret; a piece of information shared but to thence be kept in secret.
  4. 4
    Boldness; presumption.

Etymology

From Middle English confidence, from Latin cōnfīdentia (possibly via Old French confidence), from cōnfīdō (“believe, confide in”) from con- (“with”) + fīdō (“trust”). By surface analysis, confide + ence.

Antonyms

timidityshynessbashfulnessinsecurity

This word in other languages

certeza(Español)assurance(Français)Selbstvertrauen(Deutsch)convicção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconfidence,cnofidence,cofnidence,confdience,conffidence,confidance,confiddence,confidecne,confidencce,confidenec,confidennce,confidnece,confiednce,conifdence,connfidence,ocnfidence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconfidence1cnofidence2cofnidence2confdience2conffidence1confidance1confiddence1confidecne2
Edit distance from "confidence"

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 "confidence"?
"confidence" is spelled C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/.
What does "confidence" mean?
As a noun, "confidence" means: Self-assurance.
What words are commonly confused with "confidence"?
"confidence" is commonly confused with "confident", "confluence", "conference". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "confidence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "confidence" is /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/. 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 "confidence"?
From Middle English confidence, from Latin cōnfīdentia (possibly via Old French confidence), from cōnfīdō (“believe, confide in”) from con- (“with”) + fīdō (“trust”). By surface analysis, confide + 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 “confidence”

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

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