preference

/ˈpɹɛf(ə)ɹ(ə)ns/

//ˈpɹɛf(ə)ɹ(ə)ns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“preference” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,000. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,000
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The selection of one thing or person over others (with the main adposition being "for" in relation to the thing or person, but possibly also "of")

Corpus desk

Index EN-preference · preference · English

preference · rank #6,000 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,000
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH potter

Nearest frequency peer: potter (-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 “preference”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “preference” 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).

preference vs precedence
80% similar

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

Key facts for preference
PropertyValue
Headwordpreference
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɛf(ə)ɹ(ə)ns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#6,000
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “preference”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “potter” (#5,999), “promising” (#6,001), “potato” (#5,998). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “preference” is #6,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around preference (IPA /ˈpɹɛf(ə)ɹ(ə)ns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,000 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for preference, with forms such as "perference", "ppreference", and "preefrence". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "precedence", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French preference, from Medieval Latin preferentia. Doublet of preferans. Morphologically prefer + -ence. The correct English form is preference, spelled P-R-E-F-E-R-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The selection of one thing or person over others (with the main adposition being "for" in relation to the thing or person, but possibly also "of")
  2. 2
    The option to so select, and the one selected.
  3. 3
    The state of being preferred over others.
  4. 4
    A strong liking or personal valuation.
  5. 5
    A preferential bias; partiality; discrimination.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He has a preference for crisp wines.
  2. Can I keep my preferences when I upgrade to the new version of this application?

Etymology

From Middle French preference, from Medieval Latin preferentia. Doublet of preferans. Morphologically prefer + -ence.

Synonyms

forechoicepredilection

This word in other languages

preferencia(Español)préférence(Français)Vorliebe(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • perference
  • ppreference
  • preefrence
  • prefeernce
  • preferance
  • preferecne
  • preferencce
  • preferenec
  • preferennce
  • prefernece
  • preferrence
  • prefference
  • prefreence
  • prfeerence
  • prreference
  • rpeference

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

perference2ppreference1preefrence2prefeernce2preferance1preferecne2preferencce1preferenec2
Edit distance from "preference"

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 "preference"?
"preference" is spelled P-R-E-F-E-R-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɛf(ə)ɹ(ə)ns/.
What does "preference" mean?
As a noun, "preference" means: The selection of one thing or person over others (with the main adposition being "for" in relation to the thing or person, but possibly also "of")
What words are commonly confused with "preference"?
"preference" is commonly confused with "precedence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "preference"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "preference" is /ˈpɹɛf(ə)ɹ(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 "preference"?
From Middle French preference, from Medieval Latin preferentia. Doublet of preferans. Morphologically prefer + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "preference", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

proportion#6,002advantages#6,020intentions#5,976calculated#6,031

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

Palestinian16 variantsunfortunate16 variantspreventing16 variantstechnically16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list