cornice

/ˈkɔːnɪs/

//ˈkɔːnɪs// noun

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

"cornice" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cornice” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,295. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,295
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A horizontal architectural element of a building, projecting forward from the main walls, originally used as a means of directing rainwater away from the building's walls.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cornice vs corrie
71% similar
cornice vs Cornish
57% similar
cornice vs Corsica
57% similar

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

Key facts for cornice
PropertyValue
Headwordcornice
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɔːnɪs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#45,295
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cornice” 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). cornice lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around cornice (IPA /ˈkɔːnɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,295 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for cornice, with forms such as "ccornice", "conrice", and "corince". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "corrie", "Cornish", "Corsica", 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 French corniche or Italian cornice, from Latin cornīx (“crow”). The correct English form is cornice, spelled C-O-R-N-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A horizontal architectural element of a building, projecting forward from the main walls, originally used as a means of directing rainwater away from the building's walls.
  2. 2
    A decorative element applied at the topmost part of the wall of a room, as with a crown molding.
  3. 3
    A decorative element at the topmost portion of certain pieces of furniture, as with a highboy.
  4. 4
    An overhanging edge of snow on a ridge or the crest of a mountain and along the sides of gullies.

Etymology

From Middle French corniche or Italian cornice, from Latin cornīx (“crow”).

This word in other languages

cornisa(Español)corniche(Français)Gesims(Deutsch)cornija(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccornice
  • conrice
  • corince
  • corncie
  • cornicce
  • corniec
  • cornnice
  • corrnice
  • cronice
  • ocrnice

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccornice1conrice2corince2corncie2cornicce1corniec2cornnice1corrnice1
Edit distance from "cornice"

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 "cornice"?
"cornice" is spelled C-O-R-N-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɔːnɪs/.
What does "cornice" mean?
As a noun, "cornice" means: A horizontal architectural element of a building, projecting forward from the main walls, originally used as a means of directing rainwater away from the building's walls.
What words are commonly confused with "cornice"?
"cornice" is commonly confused with "corrie", "Cornish", "Corsica". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cornice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cornice" is /ˈkɔːnɪs/. 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 "cornice"?
From Middle French corniche or Italian cornice, from Latin cornīx (“crow”). 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 “cornice”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-R-N-I-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɔːnɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “corrie” - see the side-by-side comparison. cornice vs corrie
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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