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
5,599
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 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.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cornice · cornice · English

cornice · rank #45,295 · 10 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #45,295
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH corned

Nearest frequency peer: corned (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “cornice”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “cornice” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cornice”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).cornicelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “corned” (#45,294), “Cornwell” (#45,296), “Cormac” (#45,293). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cornice” is #45,295. 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 5,599 “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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It is a large square structure, two and a half stories in height, with a hipped roof rising above a handsome cornice with prominent modillions and surmounted by a balustraded belvedere.
  2. That ceiling was covered with square compartments,[...] It was supported by a gilded cornice, carved into a thousand curious shapes and emblems, among which the horned wolf, the crest of the Avonleigh family, was conspicuous.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Crispin#45,301closeup#45,279dutiful#45,345brocade#45,244

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Cygnus10 variantschucks10 variantsEarhart10 variantsearshot10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list