reactance

Name: reactance, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“reactance” is uncommon English (frequency #84,658 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#84,658
frequency rank, English: 21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The opposition to the change in flow of current in an alternating current circuit, due to inductance and capacitance; the imaginary part of the impedance. Symbol: X.

Key facts for reactance
Property	Value
Headword	reactance
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#84,658
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “reactance” 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). reactance lands here:

#84,658

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Rare enough to double-check

reactance is uncommon English at frequency #84,658 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for reactance, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From react + -ance. The correct English form is reactance, spelled R-E-A-C-T-A-N-C-E.

Definition

1
The opposition to the change in flow of current in an alternating current circuit, due to inductance and capacitance; the imaginary part of the impedance. Symbol: X.
2
A similar effect in magnetism.
3
An emotional reaction in direct contradiction to rules or regulations that threaten or eliminate specific behavioral freedoms.

Etymology

From react + -ance.

This word in other languages

Blindwiderstand(Deutsch)

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 "reactance"?

"reactance" is spelled R-E-A-C-T-A-N-C-E.

What does "reactance" mean?

As a noun, "reactance" means: The opposition to the change in flow of current in an alternating current circuit, due to inductance and capacitance; the imaginary part of the impedance. Symbol: X.

What is the origin of the word "reactance"?

From react + -ance. 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 “reactance”

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

The one correct English spelling is R-E-A-C-T-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.