presence

/ˈpɹɛzn̩s/

//ˈpɹɛzn̩s// noun

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

"presence" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“presence” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,914 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,914
frequency rank, English
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The fact or condition of being present, or of being within sight or call, or at hand.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

presence vs present
75% similar
presence vs presents
75% similar
presence vs preserve
75% similar

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

Key facts for presence
PropertyValue
Headwordpresence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɛzn̩s/
Letters8
Frequency rank#1,914
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “presence” 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). presence 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 presence is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɛzn̩s/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,914 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for presence, with forms such as "persence", "ppresence", and "preesnce". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "present", "presents", "preserve", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Through Old French presence, from Latin praesentia (“a being present”), from praesentem. Displaced native Old English andweardnes. The correct English form is presence, spelled P-R-E-S-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The fact or condition of being present, or of being within sight or call, or at hand.
  2. 2
    The part of space within one's immediate vicinity.
  3. 3
    A quality of poise and effectiveness that enables a performer to achieve a close relationship with their audience.
  4. 4
    A quality that sets an individual out from others; a quality that makes them noticed and/or admired even if they are not speaking or performing.
  5. 5
    Something (as a spirit) felt or believed to be present.
  6. 6
    A company's business activity in a particular market.
  7. 7
    An assembly of great persons.
  8. 8
    The state of being closely focused on the here and now, not distracted by irrelevant thoughts.
  9. 9
    Synonym of room tone.

Etymology

Through Old French presence, from Latin praesentia (“a being present”), from praesentem. Displaced native Old English andweardnes.

Antonyms

absencemissingness

This word in other languages

presencia(Español)présence(Français)Anwesenheit(Deutsch)presença(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: persence,ppresence,preesnce,presance,presecne,presencce,presenec,presennce,presnece,pressence,prresence,prseence,rpesence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

persence2ppresence1preesnce2presance1presecne2presencce1presenec2presennce1
Edit distance from "presence"

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 "presence"?
"presence" is spelled P-R-E-S-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɛzn̩s/.
What does "presence" mean?
As a noun, "presence" means: The fact or condition of being present, or of being within sight or call, or at hand.
What words are commonly confused with "presence"?
"presence" is commonly confused with "present", "presents", "preserve". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "presence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "presence" is /ˈpɹɛzn̩s/. 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 "presence"?
Through Old French presence, from Latin praesentia (“a being present”), from praesentem. Displaced native Old English andweardnes. 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 “presence”

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

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