diffidence
/ˈdɪfɪdəns/
"diffidence" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“diffidence” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being diffident, timid or shy; reticence or self-effacement.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | diffidence |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdɪfɪdəns/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “diffidence” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for diffidence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɪfɪdəns/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “diffidence”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-I-F-F-I-D-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdɪfɪdəns/ (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.