pace

/peɪs/

//peɪs// noun

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

"pace" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pace” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,773 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,773
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A step.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pace vs PC
0% similar
pace vs PE
0% similar
pace vs pay
50% similar

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

Key facts for pace
PropertyValue
Headwordpace
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/peɪs/
Letters4
Frequency rank#3,773
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pace” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). pace lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for pace is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /peɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,773 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for pace, with forms such as "apce", "pacce", and "paec". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "PC", "PE", "pay", and more, 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 pase, from Anglo-Norman pas, Old French pas, and their source, Latin passus. Doublet of pas and fathom; compare also pass. Cognate with Spanish pasear. The correct English form is pace, spelled P-A-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A step.
  2. 2
    A step.
  3. 3
    A way of stepping.
  4. 4
    A way of stepping.
  5. 5
    Speed or velocity in general.
  6. 6
    A measure of the hardness of a pitch and of the tendency of a cricket ball to maintain its speed after bouncing.
  7. 7
    A group of donkeys.
  8. 8
    A passage, a route.
  9. 9
    A passage, a route.
  10. 10
    A passage, a route.

Etymology

From Middle English pase, from Anglo-Norman pas, Old French pas, and their source, Latin passus. Doublet of pas and fathom; compare also pass. Cognate with Spanish pasear.

This word in other languages

paso(Español)pas(Français)Schritt(Deutsch)ritmo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apce,pacce,paec,pcae,ppace

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pace - 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.

apce2pacce1paec2pcae2ppace1
Edit distance from "pace"

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 "pace"?
"pace" is spelled P-A-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /peɪs/.
What does "pace" mean?
As a noun, "pace" means: A step.
What words are commonly confused with "pace"?
"pace" is commonly confused with "PC", "PE", "pay". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pace"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pace" is /peɪs/. 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 "pace"?
From Middle English pase, from Anglo-Norman pas, Old French pas, and their source, Latin passus. Doublet of pas and fathom; compare also pass. Cognate with Spanish pasear. 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.

Using “pace”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /peɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “PC” - see the side-by-side comparison. pace vs PC
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list