insistence
/ɪnˈsɪs.təns/noun
insistence is spelled I-N-S-I-S-T-E-N-C-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,228th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, insistence means “The state of being insistent” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of insistence is insistences.
How many letters and syllables are in insistence?
| Letters | 10: I-N-S-I-S-T-E-N-C-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.8 times per million words; the 16,228th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is insistence?
Insistence appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,228th 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 insistence?
- /ɪnˈsɪs.təns/
- /ˈɪn.sɪs.ʈens/
Insistence has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-insistence.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of insistence
- insistences plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does insistence mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The state of being insistent.
- 2
An urgent demand.
- 3
The forcing of an attack through the parry, using strength.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Insistence in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | insistance |
| German | Beharrlichkeit, Insistenz, Eindringlichkeit , Dringlichkeit |
| Portuguese | insistência |
| Spanish | insistencia |
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 insistence come from?
From Middle English insistence, derived from Old French insister (“to insist”). Compare Middle French insistance. Morphologically insist + -ence.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).