convalescence

noun

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

"convalescence" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“convalescence” is uncommon English (frequency #60,725 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,725
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A gradual healing after illness or injury.

Corpus desk

Index EN-convalescence · convalescence · English

convalescence · rank #60,725 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #60,725
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Cookson

Nearest frequency peer: Cookson (+1 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 “convalescence”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for convalescence
PropertyValue
Headwordconvalescence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters13
Frequency rank#60,725
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “convalescence” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).convalescencefalls 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: “Cookson” (#60,726), “corporatism” (#60,728), “conjunctivitis” (#60,721). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “convalescence” is #60,725. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

convalescence is uncommon English at frequency #60,725 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for convalescence, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French convalescence, from Late Latin convalēscentia (“regaining of health”), from Latin convalēscēn(t-)s, present participle of convalēscere (“to become strong or well”); see convalesce. The correct English form is convalescence, spelled C-O-N-V-A-L-E-S-C-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A gradual healing after illness or injury.
  2. 2
    The period of time spent healing.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French convalescence, from Late Latin convalēscentia (“regaining of health”), from Latin convalēscēn(t-)s, present participle of convalēscere (“to become strong or well”); see convalesce.

This word in other languages

Erholung(Deutsch)

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 "convalescence"?
"convalescence" is spelled C-O-N-V-A-L-E-S-C-E-N-C-E.
What does "convalescence" mean?
As a noun, "convalescence" means: A gradual healing after illness or injury.
What is the origin of the word "convalescence"?
Borrowed from Middle French convalescence, from Late Latin convalēscentia (“regaining of health”), from Latin convalēscēn(t-)s, present participle of convalēscere (“to become strong or well”); see convalesce. 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 "convalescence", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hydraulically#60,871Witwatersrand#60,570lactobacillus#60,921mainstreaming#60,943

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list