observance
ob·ser·vance/əbˈzɝvəns/noun
observance is spelled O-B-S-E-R-V-A-N-C-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables (ob·ser·vance). It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,463rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, observance means “The practice of complying with a law, custom, command or rule” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of observance is observances.
How many letters and syllables are in observance?
| Letters | 10: O-B-S-E-R-V-A-N-C-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: ob·ser·vance |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 24,463rd 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 observance?
Observance appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,463rd 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 observance?
- US /əbˈzɝvəns/
- UK /əbˈzɜːvəns/
Observance has 3 syllables, split ob·ser·vance in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-observance.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of observance
- observances plural
- observancy
- observaunce
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does observance mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The practice of complying with a law, custom, command or rule.
- 2
The custom of celebrating a holiday or similar occasion.
- 3
Observation or the act of watching.
- 4
A rule governing a religious order, especially in the Roman Catholic church.
Thomas Merton was a monk in the Order of Cistertians of the Strict Observance.
- 5
That which is to be observed.
- 6
Reverence; homage.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Observance in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense practice of complying:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | observance |
| German | Beachtung |
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 observance come from?
From Old French observance, from Latin observantia. Equivalent of observe + -ance.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).