prominence

/ˈpɹɒ.mɪ.nəns/

//ˈpɹɒ.mɪ.nəns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“prominence” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,192 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,192
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being prominent: widely known or eminent.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prominence vs prominent
80% similar
prominence vs Providence
70% similar

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

Key facts for prominence
PropertyValue
Headwordprominence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɒ.mɪ.nəns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#14,192
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prominence” 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). prominence 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 prominence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɒ.mɪ.nəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,192 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for prominence, with forms such as "porminence", "pprominence", and "prmoinence". 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. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "prominent", "Providence", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From obsolete French prominence (compare proéminence), from Latin prominentia. The correct English form is prominence, spelled P-R-O-M-I-N-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being prominent: widely known or eminent.
  2. 2
    Relative importance.
  3. 3
    A bulge: something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from a form.
  4. 4
    Autonomous height; relative height or prime factor; a concept used in the categorization of hills and mountains.
  5. 5
    A gaseous projection, often loop-shaped, springing from the surface of the Sun or a star.

Etymology

From obsolete French prominence (compare proéminence), from Latin prominentia.

This word in other languages

prominencia(Español)proéminence(Français)Protuberanz(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: porminence,pprominence,prmoinence,proimnence,promiennce,prominance,prominecne,prominencce,prominenec,prominennce,prominnece,prominnence,promminence,promnience,prrominence,rpominence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porminence2pprominence1prmoinence2proimnence2promiennce2prominance1prominecne2prominencce1
Edit distance from "prominence"

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 "prominence"?
"prominence" is spelled P-R-O-M-I-N-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒ.mɪ.nəns/.
What does "prominence" mean?
As a noun, "prominence" means: The state of being prominent: widely known or eminent.
What words are commonly confused with "prominence"?
"prominence" is commonly confused with "prominent", "Providence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prominence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prominence" is /ˈpɹɒ.mɪ.nəns/. 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 "prominence"?
From obsolete French prominence (compare proéminence), from Latin prominentia. 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 “prominence”

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

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