recency

/ˈɹiːsənsi/

//ˈɹiːsənsi// noun

"recency" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“recency” is uncommon English (frequency #80,799 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#80,799
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The property of being recent; newness.

Key facts for recency
PropertyValue
Headwordrecency
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹiːsənsi/
Letters7
Frequency rank#80,799
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “recency” 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). recency lands here:

#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

recency is uncommon English at frequency #80,799 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹiːsənsi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The property of being recent; newness.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for recency, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin recentia, from recens, equivalent to recent + -cy. See recent. The correct English form is recency, spelled R-E-C-E-N-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The property of being recent; newness.

Etymology

From Latin recentia, from recens, equivalent to recent + -cy. See recent.

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 "recency"?
"recency" is spelled R-E-C-E-N-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹiːsənsi/.
What does "recency" mean?
As a noun, "recency" means: The property of being recent; newness.
How do you pronounce "recency"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recency" is /ˈɹiːsənsi/. 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 "recency"?
From Latin recentia, from recens, equivalent to recent + -cy. See recent. 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 “recency”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-E-C-E-N-C-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹiːsənsi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list