pestilence

/ˈpɛstələn(t)s/

//ˈpɛstələn(t)s// noun

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

"pestilence" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pestilence” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,095. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,095
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any epidemic disease that is highly contagious, infectious, virulent and devastating.

Key facts for pestilence
PropertyValue
Headwordpestilence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɛstələn(t)s/
Letters10
Frequency rank#38,095
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pestilence” 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). pestilence lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around pestilence (IPA /ˈpɛstələn(t)s/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,095 among 46,516 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for pestilence, with forms such as "epstilence", "pesitlence", and "pesstilence". 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. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin pestilentia (“plague”), from pestilens (“infected, unwholesome, noxious”); equivalent to pestilent + -ence. The correct English form is pestilence, spelled P-E-S-T-I-L-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any epidemic disease that is highly contagious, infectious, virulent and devastating.
  2. 2
    Anything harmful to morals or public order.

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin pestilentia (“plague”), from pestilens (“infected, unwholesome, noxious”); equivalent to pestilent + -ence.

This word in other languages

pestilencia(Español)peste(Français)Pest(Deutsch)peste(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epstilence
  • pesitlence
  • pesstilence
  • pestielnce
  • pestilance
  • pestilecne
  • pestilencce
  • pestilenec
  • pestilennce
  • pestillence
  • pestilnece
  • pestlience
  • pesttilence
  • petsilence
  • ppestilence
  • psetilence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pestilence - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

epstilence2pesitlence2pesstilence1pestielnce2pestilance1pestilecne2pestilencce1pestilenec2
Edit distance from "pestilence"

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 "pestilence"?
"pestilence" is spelled P-E-S-T-I-L-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛstələn(t)s/.
What does "pestilence" mean?
As a noun, "pestilence" means: Any epidemic disease that is highly contagious, infectious, virulent and devastating.
What are common misspellings of "pestilence"?
Common misspellings include "epstilence", "pesitlence", "pesstilence", "pestielnce", "pestilance". The correct spelling is "pestilence".
How do you pronounce "pestilence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pestilence" is /ˈpɛstələn(t)s/. 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 "pestilence"?
From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin pestilentia (“plague”), from pestilens (“infected, unwholesome, noxious”); equivalent to pestilent + -ence. 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 “pestilence”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-S-T-I-L-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɛstələn(t)s/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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