persistence

/pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/

//pəˈsɪst(ə)ns// noun

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

"persistence" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“persistence” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,808 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,808
frequency rank, English
11
letters
18
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The property of being persistent.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

persistence vs persistent
82% similar

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

Key facts for persistence
PropertyValue
Headwordpersistence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/
Letters11
Frequency rank#14,808
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “persistence” 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). persistence 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 persistence is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,808 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for persistence, with forms such as "eprsistence", "perisstence", and "perrsistence". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "persistent", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French persistance. The correct English form is persistence, spelled P-E-R-S-I-S-T-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The property of being persistent.
  2. 2
    Of data, the property of continuing to exist after the termination of the program.
  3. 3
    Continuation of the previous day's weather (particularly temperature and precipitation statistics).
  4. 4
    The number of times an operation can be iteratively applied to a number before it reaches a permanently constant state.

Etymology

From Middle French persistance.

Synonyms

persistency

This word in other languages

persistencia(Español)persistance(Français)Ausdauer(Deutsch)persistência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eprsistence,perisstence,perrsistence,persisetnce,persisstence,persistance,persistecne,persistencce,persistenec,persistennce,persistnece,persisttence,persitsence,perssistence,perssitence,pesristence,ppersistence,presistence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of persistence - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

eprsistence2perisstence2perrsistence1persisetnce2persisstence1persistance1persistecne2persistencce1
Edit distance from "persistence"

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 "persistence"?
"persistence" is spelled P-E-R-S-I-S-T-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/.
What does "persistence" mean?
As a noun, "persistence" means: The property of being persistent.
What words are commonly confused with "persistence"?
"persistence" is commonly confused with "persistent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "persistence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "persistence" is /pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/. 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 "persistence"?
From Middle French persistance. 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 “persistence”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-R-S-I-S-T-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pəˈsɪst(ə)ns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “persistent” - see the side-by-side comparison. persistence vs persistent
  • 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