covariance

/kəʊˈvɛː.ɹi.əns/

//kəʊˈvɛː.ɹi.əns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“covariance” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,266. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,266
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A statistical measure defined as scriptstyle operatorname Cov(X,Y)= operatorname E((X-μ)(Y-ν)) given two real-valued random variables X and Y, with expected values scriptstyle E(X),=,μ and scriptst...

Corpus desk

Index EN-covariance · covariance · English

covariance · rank #49,266 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #49,266
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Cotswold

Nearest frequency peer: Cotswold (-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 “covariance”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “covariance” 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
Key facts for covariance
PropertyValue
Headwordcovariance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəʊˈvɛː.ɹi.əns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#49,266
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “covariance”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).covariancelands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “Cotswold” (#49,265), “Cowper” (#49,267), “Crabb” (#49,268). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “covariance” is #49,266. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around covariance (IPA /kəʊˈvɛː.ɹi.əns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #49,266 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for covariance, with forms such as "ccovariance", "coavriance", and "covairance". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From co- + variance. The correct English form is covariance, spelled C-O-V-A-R-I-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A statistical measure defined as scriptstyle operatorname Cov(X,Y)= operatorname E((X-μ)(Y-ν)) given two real-valued random variables X and Y, with expected values scriptstyle E(X),=,μ and scriptstyle E(Y),=,ν.
  2. 2
    The conversion of data types from wider to narrower in certain situations.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The elements of such a correlation matrix do not have asymptotic variances and covariances of the form (1.2), even if S has a Wishart distribution.
  2. Consequently, it can be shown that a covariance of two binary variables measures the extent to which the observed joint distribution of these variables differs from their expected joint distribution under the assumption that they are statistically independent.

Etymology

From co- + variance.

This word in other languages

covarianza(Español)covariance(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccovariance
  • coavriance
  • covairance
  • covaraince
  • covariacne
  • covariancce
  • covarianec
  • covariannce
  • covarience
  • covarinace
  • covarriance
  • covraiance
  • covvariance
  • cvoariance
  • ocvariance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of covariance - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccovariance1coavriance2covairance2covaraince2covariacne2covariancce1covarianec2covariannce1
Edit distance from "covariance"

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 "covariance"?
"covariance" is spelled C-O-V-A-R-I-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəʊˈvɛː.ɹi.əns/.
What does "covariance" mean?
As a noun, "covariance" means: A statistical measure defined as scriptstyle operatorname Cov(X,Y)= operatorname E((X-μ)(Y-ν)) given two real-valued random variables X and Y, with expected values scriptstyle E(X),=,μ and scriptst...
What are common misspellings of "covariance"?
Common misspellings include "ccovariance", "coavriance", "covairance", "covaraince", "covariacne". The correct spelling is "covariance".
How do you pronounce "covariance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "covariance" is /kəʊˈvɛː.ɹi.əns/. 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 "covariance"?
From co- + variance. 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 "covariance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

cornucopia#49,263crustacean#49,270Chittagong#49,252debriefing#49,282

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

geographer15 variantsaftershave15 variantsGrenadines15 variantsGwendolyn15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list