evidence

/ˈɛv.ɪ.dəns/

//ˈɛv.ɪ.dəns// noun

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

"evidence" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“evidence” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #746 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#746
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Facts or observations presented in support of an assertion.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

evidence vs evident
75% similar
evidence vs eminence
75% similar

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

Key facts for evidence
PropertyValue
Headwordevidence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛv.ɪ.dəns/
Letters8
Frequency rank#746
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “evidence” 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). evidence 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 evidence is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛv.ɪ.dəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #746 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for evidence, with forms such as "eivdence", "evdience", and "evidance". 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, "evident", "eminence", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English evidence, from Old French [Term?], from Latin evidentia (“clearness, in Late Latin a proof”), from evidens (“clear, evident”); see evident. The correct English form is evidence, spelled E-V-I-D-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Facts or observations presented in support of an assertion.
  2. 2
    Anything admitted by a court to prove or disprove alleged matters of fact in a trial.
  3. 3
    One who bears witness.
  4. 4
    A body of objectively verifiable facts that are positively indicative of, and/or exclusively concordant with, that one conclusion over any other.

Etymology

From Middle English evidence, from Old French [Term?], from Latin evidentia (“clearness, in Late Latin a proof”), from evidens (“clear, evident”); see evident.

This word in other languages

evidencia(Español)preuve(Français)Beweis(Deutsch)evidência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eivdence,evdience,evidance,eviddence,evidecne,evidencce,evidenec,evidennce,evidnece,eviednce,evvidence,veidence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eivdence2evdience2evidance1eviddence1evidecne2evidencce1evidenec2evidennce1
Edit distance from "evidence"

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 "evidence"?
"evidence" is spelled E-V-I-D-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛv.ɪ.dəns/.
What does "evidence" mean?
As a noun, "evidence" means: Facts or observations presented in support of an assertion.
What words are commonly confused with "evidence"?
"evidence" is commonly confused with "evident", "eminence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "evidence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "evidence" is /ˈɛv.ɪ.dəns/. 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 "evidence"?
From Middle English evidence, from Old French [Term?], from Latin evidentia (“clearness, in Late Latin a proof”), from evidens (“clear, evident”); see evident. 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 “evidence”

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

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