face value
"face-value" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“face value” 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 amount or value listed on a bill, card, note, stamp, etc.; the stated value or amount.
Corpus desk
Index EN-face-value · face value · English
face value · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 10 letters
- VOW-5 5 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "F" 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 | face value |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “face value” in English
Rare enough to double-check
face value is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
face value has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: The term exists because a contrast between nominal value and market value is sometimes materially relevant for currencies. The correct English form is face value, spelled F-A-C-E- -V-A-L-U-E.
Definition
- 1The amount or value listed on a bill, card, note, stamp, etc.; the stated value or amount.
- 2No more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how face value appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Please take this comment at face value and don't try to read anything into it.
Few museums have such a coherent collection that covers so many different areas of interest as the London Transport Museum. At face value, it is a collection of urban transport in London. In reality, it is so much more.
Etymology
The term exists because a contrast between nominal value and market value is sometimes materially relevant for currencies.
Synonyms
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.