deference

/ˈdɛfəɹəns/

//ˈdɛfəɹəns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“deference” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,390. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,390
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Great respect.

Corpus desk

Index EN-deference · deference · English

deference · rank #30,390 · 14 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,390
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH DAC

Nearest frequency peer: DAC (-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 “deference”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “deference” 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).

deference vs difference
80% similar
deference vs deterrence
80% similar
deference vs defence
78% similar

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

Key facts for deference
PropertyValue
Headworddeference
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɛfəɹəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#30,390
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “deference”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).deferencelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “DAC” (#30,389), “delirium” (#30,391), “cz” (#30,387). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “deference” is #30,390. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around deference (IPA /ˈdɛfəɹəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #30,390 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for deference, with forms such as "ddeference", "deefrence", and "defeernce". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "difference", "deterrence", "defence", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French déférence. Morphologically defer + -ence. The correct English form is deference, spelled D-E-F-E-R-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Great respect.
  2. 2
    The willingness to carry out the wishes of others.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The children treated their elders with deference.
  2. By tidying his room, he showed deference to his mother.

Etymology

From French déférence. Morphologically defer + -ence.

Synonyms

honorrespect

This word in other languages

deferencia(Español)respect(Français)Ehrerbietung(Deutsch)deferência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddeference
  • deefrence
  • defeernce
  • deferance
  • deferecne
  • deferencce
  • deferenec
  • deferennce
  • defernece
  • deferrence
  • defference
  • defreence
  • dfeerence
  • edference

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of deference - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddeference1deefrence2defeernce2deferance1deferecne2deferencce1deferenec2deferennce1
Edit distance from "deference"

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 "deference"?
"deference" is spelled D-E-F-E-R-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɛfəɹəns/.
What does "deference" mean?
As a noun, "deference" means: Great respect.
What words are commonly confused with "deference"?
"deference" is commonly confused with "difference", "deterrence", "defence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "deference"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deference" is /ˈdɛfəɹəns/. 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 "deference"?
From French déférence. Morphologically defer + -ence. 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 "deference", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Descartes#30,393contented#30,378Edwardian#30,406commenter#30,371

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

diabolical14 variantsfieldwork14 variantsfoolishly14 variantsCaledonian14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list