difference

/ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns/

//ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“difference” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,048 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,048
frequency rank, English
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The quality of being different.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

difference vs different
80% similar
difference vs differences
91% similar
difference vs deference
80% similar

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

Key facts for difference
PropertyValue
Headworddifference
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#1,048
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “difference” 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). difference 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 difference is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,048 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for difference, with forms such as "ddifference", "dfiference", and "difefrence". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "different", "differences", "deference", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English difference, from Old French difference, from Latin differentia (“difference”), from differēns (“different”), present participle of differre. Doublet of differentia. Morphologically differ + -ence. The correct English form is difference, spelled D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality of being different.
  2. 2
    A characteristic of something that makes it different from something else.
  3. 3
    A disagreement or argument.
  4. 4
    Significant change in or effect on a situation or state.
  5. 5
    The result of a subtraction; sometimes the absolute value of this result.
  6. 6
    Choice; preference.
  7. 7
    An addition to a coat of arms to distinguish two people's bearings which would otherwise be the same. See augmentation and cadency.
  8. 8
    The quality or attribute which is added to those of the genus to constitute a species; a differentia.
  9. 9
    A Boolean operation which is true when the two input variables are different but is otherwise false; the XOR operation ( scriptstyle A◌̅B+◌̅AB).
  10. 10
    The set of elements that are in one set but not another ( scriptstyle A◌̅B).

Etymology

From Middle English difference, from Old French difference, from Latin differentia (“difference”), from differēns (“different”), present participle of differre. Doublet of differentia. Morphologically differ + -ence.

Synonyms

departuredeviationdivergencedisparityconflictdifference of opiniondisputedissensionremainderneverminddifferencedifferentiationdifferentnessdistinctiondistinguishednessnonidentityunidenticalitydiversity

Antonyms

identityidenticalityidenticalnesssameness

This word in other languages

diferencia(Español)différence(Français)Unterschied(Deutsch)diferença(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddifference,dfiference,difefrence,diference,diffeernce,differance,differecne,differencce,differenec,differennce,differnece,differrence,diffreence,idfference

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddifference1dfiference2difefrence2diference1diffeernce2differance1differecne2differencce1
Edit distance from "difference"

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 "difference"?
"difference" is spelled D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns/.
What does "difference" mean?
As a noun, "difference" means: The quality of being different.
What words are commonly confused with "difference"?
"difference" is commonly confused with "different", "differences", "deference". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "difference"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "difference" is /ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns/. 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 "difference"?
From Middle English difference, from Old French difference, from Latin differentia (“difference”), from differēns (“different”), present participle of differre. Doublet of differentia. Morphologically differ + -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.

Using “difference”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “different” - see the side-by-side comparison. difference vs different
  • 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