connivance

/kəˈnaɪvəns/

//kəˈnaɪvəns// noun

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

The verdict

“connivance” is uncommon English (frequency #78,487 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,487
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The process of conniving or conspiring.

Corpus desk

Index EN-connivance · connivance · English

connivance · rank #78,487 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #78,487
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH contralto

Nearest frequency peer: contralto (+2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “connivance”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “connivance” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for connivance
PropertyValue
Headwordconnivance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəˈnaɪvəns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#78,487
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “connivance” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).connivancefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “contralto” (#78,489), “codfish” (#78,482), “coquette” (#78,492). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “connivance” is #78,487. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

connivance is uncommon English at frequency #78,487 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /kəˈnaɪvəns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The process of conniving or conspiring.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for connivance in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From early 18th c., replaced earlier form connivence (late 16th c.), from Latin connīventia, from connīvēns (“winking”). The correct English form is connivance, spelled C-O-N-N-I-V-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The process of conniving or conspiring.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how connivance appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The Abbot’s house, which formed the third side of the square, was, though injured, still inhabited, and afforded refuge to the few brethren who yet, rather by connivance than by actual authority, were permitted to remain at Kennaquhair.

Etymology

From early 18th c., replaced earlier form connivence (late 16th c.), from Latin connīventia, from connīvēns (“winking”).

This word in other languages

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 "connivance"?
"connivance" is spelled C-O-N-N-I-V-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈnaɪvəns/.
What does "connivance" mean?
As a noun, "connivance" means: The process of conniving or conspiring.
How do you pronounce "connivance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "connivance" is /kəˈnaɪvəns/. 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 "connivance"?
From early 18th c., replaced earlier form connivence (late 16th c.), from Latin connīventia, from connīvēns (“winking”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "connivance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list