ordinance

/ˈɔːdɪnəns/

//ˈɔːdɪnəns// noun

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

"ordinance" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ordinance” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,029. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,029
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A local law, passed by e.g. a city.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ordinance · ordinance · English

ordinance · rank #13,029 · 14 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,029
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH Osborne

Nearest frequency peer: Osborne (+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 “ordinance”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ordinance” 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).

ordinance vs ordnance
89% similar
ordinance vs ordinate
78% similar
ordinance vs ordinances
90% similar

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

Key facts for ordinance
PropertyValue
Headwordordinance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɔːdɪnəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#13,029
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ordinance”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).ordinancelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Osborne” (#13,030), “O'Connor” (#13,027), “Norris” (#13,026). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “ordinance” is #13,029. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around ordinance (IPA /ˈɔːdɪnəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #13,029 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for ordinance, with forms such as "odrinance", "orddinance", and "ordiannce". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "ordnance", "ordinate", "ordinances", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ordinaunce (ca. 1300), from Old French ordenance (“decree, command”) (modern French ordonnance), from Medieval Latin ordinantia, from ordinans, the present participle of ordino (“put in order”) (whence ordain). Doublet of ordonnance. The correct English form is ordinance, spelled O-R-D-I-N-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A local law, passed by e.g. a city.
  2. 2
    An edict or decree, authoritative order.
  3. 3
    An edict or decree, authoritative order.
  4. 4
    An edict or decree, authoritative order.
  5. 5
    An edict or decree, authoritative order.
  6. 6
    A religious practice or ritual prescribed by a church.
  7. 7
    Alternative form of ordnance (“military equipment, especially artillery”).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Enactive. Expositive. / Art. 57. XIII 2. The Registrative, or say Recordative: exercised, by the arrangements and operations, by which, in conformity to corresponding ordinances and mandates, the accounts, given at different periods by the exercise of the statistic function, are kept in contiguity, and in a regular series, for the purpose of reference and…
  2. According to the weatherperson, spring arrived in Hartford, Conn., on Monday, March 20 at 6:34 p.m. But gay people here didn't need a weatherperson to feel the gust of fresh air at a hearing on the proposed gay rights ordinance before the City Council that night at 7:30.

Etymology

From Middle English ordinaunce (ca. 1300), from Old French ordenance (“decree, command”) (modern French ordonnance), from Medieval Latin ordinantia, from ordinans, the present participle of ordino (“put in order”) (whence ordain). Doublet of ordonnance.

This word in other languages

ordenanza(Español)ordonnance(Français)Verfügung(Deutsch)ordenança(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • odrinance
  • orddinance
  • ordiannce
  • ordinacne
  • ordinancce
  • ordinanec
  • ordinannce
  • ordinence
  • ordinnace
  • ordinnance
  • ordniance
  • oridnance
  • orrdinance
  • rodinance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ordinance - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

odrinance2orddinance1ordiannce2ordinacne2ordinancce1ordinanec2ordinannce1ordinence1
Edit distance from "ordinance"

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 "ordinance"?
"ordinance" is spelled O-R-D-I-N-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɔːdɪnəns/.
What does "ordinance" mean?
As a noun, "ordinance" means: A local law, passed by e.g. a city.
What words are commonly confused with "ordinance"?
"ordinance" is commonly confused with "ordnance", "ordinate", "ordinances". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ordinance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ordinance" is /ˈɔːdɪnəns/. 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 "ordinance"?
From Middle English ordinaunce (ca. 1300), from Old French ordenance (“decree, command”) (modern French ordonnance), from Medieval Latin ordinantia, from ordinans, the present participle of ordino (“put in order”) (whence ordain). Doublet of ordon... 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 "ordinance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sarcastic#13,055scholarly#13,056evidently#12,970electrons#12,964

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

contender14 variantsbrutality14 variantsdiscarded14 variantseconomical14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list