continence
/ˈkɒntɪnəns/
"continence" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“continence” is an uncommon English word, ranked #84,116 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #84,116
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The voluntary control of urination and defecation.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | continence |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkɒntɪnəns/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #84,116 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “continence” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for continence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒntɪnəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #84,116 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for continence, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: Dated from the 14th century as Middle English contynence, from Old French continence, from Latin continentia (“a repression”). See also countenance. The correct English form is continence, spelled C-O-N-T-I-N-E-N-C-E.
Definition
- 1The voluntary control of urination and defecation.
- 2Moderation or self-restraint, especially in sexual activity; abstinence.
- 3Uninterrupted course; continuity.
Etymology
Dated from the 14th century as Middle English contynence, from Old French continence, from Latin continentia (“a repression”). See also countenance.
Synonyms
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
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Using “continence”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-T-I-N-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɒntɪnəns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.