incense

/ˈɪnsɛns/

//ˈɪnsɛns// noun

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

"incense" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“incense” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,390. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,390
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt, often used in religious rites or for aesthetic reasons.

Corpus desk

Index EN-incense · incense · English

incense · rank #20,390 · 10 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,390
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH impulsive

Nearest frequency peer: impulsive (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “incense”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “incense” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

incense vs incest
71% similar
incense vs intense
86% similar
incense vs inverse
71% similar

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

Key facts for incense
PropertyValue
Headwordincense
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪnsɛns/
Letters7
Frequency rank#20,390
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “incense”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).incenselands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “impulsive” (#20,389), “inhuman” (#20,391), “impetus” (#20,388). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “incense” is #20,390. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around incense (IPA /ˈɪnsɛns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #20,390 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for incense, with forms such as "icnense", "inccense", and "incenes". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "incest", "intense", "inverse", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English encens, from Old French encens (“sweet-smelling substance”) from Late Latin incensum (“burnt incense”, literally “something burnt”), neuter past participle of incendō (“to set on fire”). Compare incendiary. Doublet of incienso. The correct English form is incense, spelled I-N-C-E-N-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt, often used in religious rites or for aesthetic reasons.
  2. 2
    The fragrant smoke released by burning incense (sense 1).
  3. 3
    Homage; adulation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how incense appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. When the folding-doors were on such solemn occasions thrown open, and the new Abbot appeared on the threshold in full-blown dignity, with ring and mitre, and dalmatique and crosier, his hoary standard-bearers and his juvenile dispensers of incense preceding him, and the venerable train of monks behind him, with all besides which could announce the supreme…

Etymology

From Middle English encens, from Old French encens (“sweet-smelling substance”) from Late Latin incensum (“burnt incense”, literally “something burnt”), neuter past participle of incendō (“to set on fire”). Compare incendiary. Doublet of incienso.

This word in other languages

incienso(Español)encens(Français)Weihrauch(Deutsch)incenso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • icnense
  • inccense
  • incenes
  • incennse
  • incensse
  • incesne
  • incnese
  • inecnse
  • inncense
  • nicense

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

icnense2inccense1incenes2incennse1incensse1incesne2incnese2inecnse2
Edit distance from "incense"

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 "incense"?
"incense" is spelled I-N-C-E-N-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪnsɛns/.
What does "incense" mean?
As a noun, "incense" means: Biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt, often used in religious rites or for aesthetic reasons.
What words are commonly confused with "incense"?
"incense" is commonly confused with "incest", "intense", "inverse". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "incense"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incense" is /ˈɪnsɛns/. 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 "incense"?
From Middle English encens, from Old French encens (“sweet-smelling substance”) from Late Latin incensum (“burnt incense”, literally “something burnt”), neuter past participle of incendō (“to set on fire”). Compare incendiary. Doublet of incienso. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "incense", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

inhuman#20,391impetus#20,388invoice#20,396Kristin#20,403

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Holloway10 variantsLeipzig10 variantsmartini10 variantsmidwife10 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list