diffidence
/ˈdɪfɪdəns/
"diffidence" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“diffidence” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The state of being diffident, timid or shy; reticence or self-effacement.
Corpus desk
Index EN-diffidence · diffidence · English
diffidence · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 10 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "D" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | diffidence |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdɪfɪdəns/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “diffidence” in English
Rare enough to double-check
diffidence is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdɪfɪdəns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
diffidence doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin diffīdentiam (“distrust”), from diffīdere (“to mistrust”), from dis- and fīdere (“to trust”). Attested since ∼1400. The original sense was antonymous with confidence, and the modern sense of ‘distrusting oneself’ dates from the 1650s. The correct English form is diffidence, spelled D-I-F-F-I-D-E-N-C-E.
Definition
- 1The state of being diffident, timid or shy; reticence or self-effacement.
- 2Mistrust, distrust, lack of confidence in someone or something.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how diffidence appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Without scruple—without apology—without much apparent diffidence, Mr. Elton, the lover of Harriet, was professing himself her lover.
I have the same diffidence in my feelings that most public speakers have, and am apt to think that others can speak better and more edifying than I can.
Etymology
From Latin diffīdentiam (“distrust”), from diffīdere (“to mistrust”), from dis- and fīdere (“to trust”). Attested since ∼1400. The original sense was antonymous with confidence, and the modern sense of ‘distrusting oneself’ dates from the 1650s.
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.