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distance

dis·tance/ˈdɪst(ə)n(t)s/noun, verb

distance is spelled D-I-S-T-A-N-C-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables (dis·tance). It appears 71 times per million words in written English, the 1,486th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, distance means “An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of distance is distances.

How many letters and syllables are in distance?

Letters8: D-I-S-T-A-N-C-E
Syllables2: dis·tance
In writing71 times per million words; the 1,486th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is distance?

Distance appears 71 times per million words in written English, the 1,486th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce distance?

  • US /ˈdɪst(ə)n(t)s/

Distance has 2 syllables, split dis·tance in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-distance.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-distance.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of distance

  • distances plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • distaunce
  • distancy
  • distancing participle, present
  • distanced participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does distance mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.

  2. 2

    Chiefly in by a distance: a space of more than 30 lengths (about 80 yards or 7.3 metres) between two racehorses finishing a race, used to describe the margin of victory; also (archaic), any space of 240 yards (about 219.5 metres) on a racecourse.

  3. 3

    Chiefly in from a distance: a place which is far away or remote; specifically (especially painting), a more remote part of a landscape or view as contrasted with the foreground.

  4. 4

    Chiefly with a modifying word: a measure between two points or quantities; a difference, a variance.

    angular distance    focal distance

  5. 5

    An interval or length of time between events.

  6. 6

    A separation in some way other than space or time.

    The friendship did not survive the row: they kept each other at a distance.

  7. 7

    obsoleteSynonym of length (“an extent measured along the longest dimension of an object”).

  8. 8

    obsoleteA disagreement, a dispute; also, an estrangement.

verb

  1. 1

    Often followed by from: to set (someone or something) at a distance (noun sense 1.1) from someone or something else.

  2. 2

    To cause (a place, a thing, etc.) to seem distant, or (figurative) unfamiliar.

  3. 3

    To leave behind (someone or something moving in the same direction; specifically, other competitors in a race) some distance away; to outpace, to outstrip.

  4. 4

    To keep (someone) emotionally or socially apart from another person or people.

  5. 5

    To exceed or surpass (someone, such as a peer or rival); to outdo, to outstrip.

  6. 6

    To keep (oneself) away from someone or something, especially because one does not want to be associated with that person or thing.

    He distanced himself from the comments made by some of his colleagues.

  7. 7

    USarchaicOf a racehorse: to beat (another horse) by a certain distance; also (passive voice), to cause (a horse) to be disqualified by beating it by a certain distance.

  8. 8

    obsoleteTo cover the entire distance to (something).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate distance?

Wiktionary records one abbreviation of distance: dist..

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Distance in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchdistance ((countable, uncountable) amount of space…)
GermanDistanz, Abstand, Entfernung ((countable, uncountable) amount of space…), Ferne, Weite (place that is far away or remote), entfernen (to set oneself at a distance from someone or…)
Portuguesedistância ((countable, uncountable) amount of space…), distanciar-se, afastar-se (to set oneself at a distance from someone or…)
Spanishdistancia ((countable, uncountable) amount of space…), lejanía (place that is far away or remote), distanciarse, alejarse, apartarse (to set oneself at a distance from someone or…), distanciar (to set (someone or something) at a distance…)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

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