influence
in·flu·ence/ˈɪn.flu.əns/noun, verb
influence is spelled I-N-F-L-U-E-N-C-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables (in·flu·ence). It appears 60 times per million words in written English, the 1,724th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, influence means “The power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of influence is influences.
How many letters and syllables are in influence?
| Letters | 9: I-N-F-L-U-E-N-C-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: in·flu·ence |
| In writing | 60 times per million words; the 1,724th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none 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 influence?
Influence appears 60 times per million words in written English, the 1,724th 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 influence?
- US /ˈɪn.flu.əns/
- US /ɪnˈflu.əns/
Influence has 3 syllables, split in·flu·ence in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-influence.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of influence
- influences plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- influencing participle, present
- influenced participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does influence mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct, thoughts or decisions.
I have absolutely no influence over him.
- 2
An action exerted by a person or thing with such power on another to cause change.
I'm not able to exercise influence over him.
- 3
A person or thing exerting such power or action.
He has been a great influence on the voters during the elections.
- 4
An element believed to determine someone's character or individual tendencies, caused by the position of the stars and planets at the time of one's birth.
- 5
obsoleteThe action of flowing in; influx.
- 6
Electrostatic induction.
verb
- 1
To have an effect on by using gentle or subtle action; to exert an influence upon; to modify, bias, or sway; to persuade or induce.
The politician wants to influence the public.
- 2
To exert, make use of one's influence.
- 3
obsoleteTo cause to flow in or into; infuse; instill.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Influence in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | influence , influencer, influer |
| German | Einfluss , beeinflussen , Beeinflussung , Beeinflusser |
| Portuguese | influência , influenciar, influir |
| Spanish | influencia , influir, influenciar , incidir |
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.
Where does influence come from?
Inherited from Middle English influence, from Old French influence, borrowed from Medieval Latin īnfluentia, from Latin īnfluēns + -ia. Doublet of influenza.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).