dominance

/ˈdɒmɪnəns/

//ˈdɒmɪnəns// noun

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

"dominance" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dominance” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,170 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,170
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being dominant; of prime importance; supremacy.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dominance vs dominant
78% similar
dominance vs dominate
78% similar

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

Key facts for dominance
PropertyValue
Headworddominance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɒmɪnəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#9,170
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dominance” 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). dominance 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 dominance is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɒmɪnəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,170 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 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 dominance, with forms such as "ddominance", "dmoinance", and "doimnance". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "dominant", "dominate", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dominant + -ance. The correct English form is dominance, spelled D-O-M-I-N-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being dominant; of prime importance; supremacy.
  2. 2
    Being in a position of power, authority or ascendancy over others.
  3. 3
    The superior development of or preference for one side of the body or one of a pair of organs; such as being right-handed.
  4. 4
    of an allele, the degree to which it expresses its phenotype when heterozygous, such as whether it is dominant or recessive.

Etymology

From dominant + -ance.

This word in other languages

domination(Français)Dominanz(Deutsch)domínio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddominance,dmoinance,doimnance,domiannce,dominacne,dominancce,dominanec,dominannce,dominence,dominnace,dominnance,domminance,domniance,odminance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dominance - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ddominance1dmoinance2doimnance2domiannce2dominacne2dominancce1dominanec2dominannce1
Edit distance from "dominance"

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 "dominance"?
"dominance" is spelled D-O-M-I-N-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɒmɪnəns/.
What does "dominance" mean?
As a noun, "dominance" means: The state of being dominant; of prime importance; supremacy.
What words are commonly confused with "dominance"?
"dominance" is commonly confused with "dominant", "dominate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dominance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dominance" is /ˈdɒmɪnəns/. 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 "dominance"?
From dominant + -ance. 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 “dominance”

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

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