desinence
/ˈdɛsɪnəns/
"desinence" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“desinence” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A suffix used as an inflection; an ending; inflectional suffix.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | desinence |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdɛsɪnəns/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “desinence” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
desinence is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdɛsɪnəns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A suffix used as an inflection; an ending; inflectional suffix.".
desinence doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French désinence, from Latin dēsinentia, present participle of dēsinō (“I stop, end, close, make an end”). The correct English form is desinence, spelled D-E-S-I-N-E-N-C-E.
Definition
- 1A suffix used as an inflection; an ending; inflectional suffix.
Etymology
Borrowed from French désinence, from Latin dēsinentia, present participle of dēsinō (“I stop, end, close, make an end”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "desinence"?
What does "desinence" mean?
How do you pronounce "desinence"?
What is the origin of the word "desinence"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “desinence”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-S-I-N-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdɛsɪnəns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.