defence

/dɪˈfɛns/

//dɪˈfɛns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“defence” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,940 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,940
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

defence vs defend
71% similar
defence vs define
71% similar
defence vs defense
86% similar

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

Key facts for defence
PropertyValue
Headworddefence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈfɛns/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,940
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “defence” 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). defence lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for defence is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈfɛns/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,940 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for defence, with forms such as "ddefence", "deefnce", and "defance". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "defend", "define", "defense", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa (“protection”). Displaced Old English bewering. The correct English form is defence, spelled D-E-F-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury.
  2. 2
    Something used to oppose attacks.
  3. 3
    An argument in support or justification of something.
  4. 4
    A strategy and tactics employed to prevent the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
  5. 5
    The portion of a team dedicated to preventing the other team from scoring; contrasted with offence.
  6. 6
    Government policy or (infra)structure related to the military.
  7. 7
    Prohibition; a prohibitory ordinance.

Etymology

From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa (“protection”). Displaced Old English bewering.

Antonyms

offenceoffense

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddefence,deefnce,defance,defecne,defencce,defenec,defennce,deffence,defnece,dfeence,edfence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddefence1deefnce2defance1defecne2defencce1defenec2defennce1deffence1
Edit distance from "defence"

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 "defence"?
"defence" is spelled D-E-F-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈfɛns/.
What does "defence" mean?
As a noun, "defence" means: The action of defending, of protecting from attack, danger or injury.
What words are commonly confused with "defence"?
"defence" is commonly confused with "defend", "define", "defense". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "defence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "defence" is /dɪˈfɛns/. 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 "defence"?
From Middle English defens, defense, from Old French defens, defense, from Late Latin dēfēnsa (“protection”). Displaced Old English bewering. 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 “defence”

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

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