confluence

/ˈkɒn.flu.əns/

//ˈkɒn.flu.əns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“confluence” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #24,708 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#24,708
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of combining that occurs where two rivers meet.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

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

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

Key facts for confluence
PropertyValue
Headwordconfluence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒn.flu.əns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#24,708
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “confluence” 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). confluence 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 confluence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒn.flu.əns/. Corpus data places it at rank #24,708 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 confluence, with forms such as "cconfluence", "cnofluence", and "cofnluence". 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, "conference", "confidence", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From late Middle English confluence, from Late Latin cōnfluentia (“a flowing together, conflux”), from cōnfluēns (present participle of cōnfluō (“to flow or run together”)) + -ia (nominal suffix). The correct English form is confluence, spelled C-O-N-F-L-U-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of combining that occurs where two rivers meet.
  2. 2
    The act of combining that occurs where two rivers meet.
  3. 3
    The act of combining that occurs where two rivers meet.
  4. 4
    A convergence or combination of forces, people, or things.
  5. 5
    The proportion of cells, in a culture medium, that adhere to each other.
  6. 6
    A property describing which terms can be rewritten with other, equivalent terms.

Etymology

From late Middle English confluence, from Late Latin cōnfluentia (“a flowing together, conflux”), from cōnfluēns (present participle of cōnfluō (“to flow or run together”)) + -ia (nominal suffix).

Synonyms

conflux

This word in other languages

confluencia(Español)confluent(Français)Zusammenfluss(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconfluence,cnofluence,cofnluence,conffluence,confleunce,conflluence,confluance,confluecne,confluencce,confluenec,confluennce,conflunece,confulence,conlfuence,connfluence,ocnfluence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconfluence1cnofluence2cofnluence2conffluence1confleunce2conflluence1confluance1confluecne2
Edit distance from "confluence"

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 "confluence"?
"confluence" is spelled C-O-N-F-L-U-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒn.flu.əns/.
What does "confluence" mean?
As a noun, "confluence" means: The act of combining that occurs where two rivers meet.
What words are commonly confused with "confluence"?
"confluence" is commonly confused with "conference", "confidence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "confluence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "confluence" is /ˈkɒn.flu.əns/. 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 "confluence"?
From late Middle English confluence, from Late Latin cōnfluentia (“a flowing together, conflux”), from cōnfluēns (present participle of cōnfluō (“to flow or run together”)) + -ia (nominal suffix). 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 “confluence”

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

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