recurrence

/rəˈkɝ.əns/

//rəˈkɝ.əns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“recurrence” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,482 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#22,482
frequency rank, English
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Return or reversion to a certain state.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

recurrence vs recurrent
80% similar
recurrence vs resurgence
80% similar

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

Key facts for recurrence
PropertyValue
Headwordrecurrence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/rəˈkɝ.əns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#22,482
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “recurrence” 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). recurrence 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 recurrence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /rəˈkɝ.əns/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,482 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for recurrence, with forms such as "ercurrence", "rceurrence", and "reccurrence". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "recurrent", "resurgence", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From recurrent + -ence, cognate with Latin recurrentia, from recurrēns (“returning back, recurring”), form of recurrō (“I return, I recur”) (English recur). The correct English form is recurrence, spelled R-E-C-U-R-R-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Return or reversion to a certain state.
  2. 2
    The instance of recurring; frequent occurrence.
  3. 3
    A return of symptoms as part of the natural progress of a disease.
  4. 4
    Recourse.

Etymology

From recurrent + -ence, cognate with Latin recurrentia, from recurrēns (“returning back, recurring”), form of recurrō (“I return, I recur”) (English recur).

Synonyms

recurrencyreoccurrencereoccurrence

This word in other languages

recaída(Español)récurrence(Français)Rückfall(Deutsch)retorno(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ercurrence,rceurrence,reccurrence,recrurence,recurence,recurernce,recurrance,recurrecne,recurrencce,recurrenec,recurrennce,recurrnece,reucrrence,rrecurrence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of recurrence - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ercurrence2rceurrence2reccurrence1recrurence2recurence1recurernce2recurrance1recurrecne2
Edit distance from "recurrence"

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 "recurrence"?
"recurrence" is spelled R-E-C-U-R-R-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /rəˈkɝ.əns/.
What does "recurrence" mean?
As a noun, "recurrence" means: Return or reversion to a certain state.
What words are commonly confused with "recurrence"?
"recurrence" is commonly confused with "recurrent", "resurgence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "recurrence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "recurrence" is /rəˈkɝ.əns/. 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 "recurrence"?
From recurrent + -ence, cognate with Latin recurrentia, from recurrēns (“returning back, recurring”), form of recurrō (“I return, I recur”) (English recur). 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 “recurrence”

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

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