cowardice

/ˈkaʊədɪs/

//ˈkaʊədɪs// noun

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

"cowardice" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cowardice” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,024. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,024
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lack of courage.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cowardice · cowardice · English

cowardice · rank #25,024 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,024
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH crusher

Nearest frequency peer: crusher (+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 “cowardice”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cowardice” 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 cowardice
PropertyValue
Headwordcowardice
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkaʊədɪs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#25,024
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cowardice”

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).cowardicelands 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 “crusher” (#25,025), “counterpoint” (#25,022), “cuddling” (#25,026). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cowardice” is #25,024. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around cowardice (IPA /ˈkaʊədɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,024 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Lack of courage.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for cowardice, with forms such as "ccowardice", "coawrdice", and "cowadrice". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cowardise, borrowed from Anglo-Norman cuardise (modern French couardise). The correct English form is cowardice, spelled C-O-W-A-R-D-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lack of courage.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The ſecond property of your excellent ſherris, is the vvarming of the blood, vvhich before (cold & ſetled) left the lyuer vvhite & pale, vvhich is the badge of puſilanimitie and covvardize: but the ſherris vvarmes it, and makes it courſe from the invvards to the partes extreames, […]
  2. Jem’s head at times was transparent: he had thought that up to make me understand he wasn’t afraid of Radleys in any shape or form, to contrast his own fearless heroism with my cowardice.

Etymology

From Middle English cowardise, borrowed from Anglo-Norman cuardise (modern French couardise).

Synonyms

cowardicefearfulnesspusillanimitycowardlinesspoltroonerychicken-heartednesshen-heartedness

Antonyms

courage

This word in other languages

cobardía(Español)lâcheté(Français)Feigheit(Deutsch)covardia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccowardice
  • coawrdice
  • cowadrice
  • cowardcie
  • cowarddice
  • cowardicce
  • cowardiec
  • cowaridce
  • cowarrdice
  • cowradice
  • cowwardice
  • cwoardice
  • ocwardice

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccowardice1coawrdice2cowadrice2cowardcie2cowarddice1cowardicce1cowardiec2cowaridce2
Edit distance from "cowardice"

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 "cowardice"?
"cowardice" is spelled C-O-W-A-R-D-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkaʊədɪs/.
What does "cowardice" mean?
As a noun, "cowardice" means: Lack of courage.
What are common misspellings of "cowardice"?
Common misspellings include "ccowardice", "coawrdice", "cowadrice", "cowardcie", "cowarddice". The correct spelling is "cowardice".
How do you pronounce "cowardice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cowardice" is /ˈkaʊədɪs/. 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 "cowardice"?
From Middle English cowardise, borrowed from Anglo-Norman cuardise (modern French couardise). 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 "cowardice", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

corrosive#25,021Chernobyl#25,007dizziness#25,041caregiver#25,003

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

enigmatic13 variantsBathurst13 variantsArmageddon13 variantsamounting13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list