quench

/kwɛnt͡ʃ/

//kwɛnt͡ʃ// verb

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

"quench" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“quench” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,381. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,381
frequency rank, English
288
“Q” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To satisfy, especially a literal or figurative thirst.

Corpus desk

Index EN-quench · quench · English

quench · rank #33,381 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,381
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 288
  • PHOTO-FINISH putty

Nearest frequency peer: putty (-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 “quench”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “quench” 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).

quench vs Quincy
50% similar
quench vs quince
67% similar

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

Key facts for quench
PropertyValue
Headwordquench
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kwɛnt͡ʃ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#33,381
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “quench”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).quenchlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “putty” (#33,380), “psoriasis” (#33,379), “radicalism” (#33,383). Among 288 “Q” headwords, “quench” is #33,381. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around quench (IPA /kwɛnt͡ʃ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #33,381 among 288 “Q” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for quench, with forms such as "qeunch", "qquench", and "quecnh". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Quincy", "quince", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English quenchen, from Old English cwenċan, from Proto-Germanic *kwankijaną. The correct English form is quench, spelled Q-U-E-N-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To satisfy, especially a literal or figurative thirst.
  2. 2
    To extinguish or put out (as a fire or light).
  3. 3
    To cool rapidly by direct contact with liquid coolant, as a blacksmith quenching hot iron.
  4. 4
    To terminate or greatly diminish (a chemical reaction) by destroying or deforming the remaining reagents.
  5. 5
    To rapidly change the parameters of a physical system.
  6. 6
    To rapidly terminate the operation of a superconducting electromagnet by causing part or all of the magnet's windings to enter the normal, resistive state.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The library quenched her thirst for knowledge.
  2. The wearie Traueiler, wandring that way, / Therein did often quench his thriſty heat, / And then by it his wearie limbes diſplay, / Whiles creeping ſlomber made him to forget[…]

Etymology

From Middle English quenchen, from Old English cwenċan, from Proto-Germanic *kwankijaną.

This word in other languages

saciar(Español)apaiser(Français)stillen(Deutsch)saciar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • qeunch
  • qquench
  • quecnh
  • quencch
  • quenchh
  • quenhc
  • quennch
  • qunech
  • uqench

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

qeunch2qquench1quecnh2quencch1quenchh1quenhc2quennch1qunech2
Edit distance from "quench"

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 "quench"?
"quench" is spelled Q-U-E-N-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /kwɛnt͡ʃ/.
What does "quench" mean?
As a verb, "quench" means: To satisfy, especially a literal or figurative thirst.
What words are commonly confused with "quench"?
"quench" is commonly confused with "Quincy", "quince". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "quench"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quench" is /kwɛnt͡ʃ/. 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 "quench"?
From Middle English quenchen, from Old English cwenċan, from Proto-Germanic *kwankijaną. 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 "quench", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

primes#33,375praxis#33,373Rennie#33,391Pomona#33,369

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

retort9 variantsrework9 variantspennant9 variantsrudely9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list