regency

/ˈɹiːd͡ʒənsi/

//ˈɹiːd͡ʒənsi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“regency” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,045. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,045
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A system of government that substitutes for the reign of a king or queen when that king or queen becomes unable to rule.

Corpus desk

Index EN-regency · regency · English

regency · rank #21,045 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #21,045
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH reptile

Nearest frequency peer: reptile (+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 “regency”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “regency” 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).

regency vs regent
71% similar

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

Key facts for regency
PropertyValue
Headwordregency
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹiːd͡ʒənsi/
Letters7
Frequency rank#21,045
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “regency”

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).regencylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “reptile” (#21,046), “realtor” (#21,042), “rapping” (#21,041). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “regency” is #21,045. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around regency (IPA /ˈɹiːd͡ʒənsi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,045 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for regency, with forms such as "ergency", "reegncy", and "regecny". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "regent", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English regencie (cf. regente), from Medieval Latin regentia, from Latin regēns, present participle of regō. By surface analysis, regent + -cy; compare also + -ency (“abstract-noun suffix”). The correct English form is regency, spelled R-E-G-E-N-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A system of government that substitutes for the reign of a king or queen when that king or queen becomes unable to rule.
  2. 2
    The time during which a regent is in power.
  3. 3
    An administrative division ranking below a province in Indonesia.

Etymology

From Middle English regencie (cf. regente), from Medieval Latin regentia, from Latin regēns, present participle of regō. By surface analysis, regent + -cy; compare also + -ency (“abstract-noun suffix”).

This word in other languages

regencia(Español)régence(Français)regência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ergency
  • reegncy
  • regecny
  • regenccy
  • regencyy
  • regenncy
  • regenyc
  • reggency
  • regnecy
  • rgeency
  • rregency

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ergency2reegncy2regecny2regenccy1regencyy1regenncy1regenyc2reggency1
Edit distance from "regency"

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 "regency"?
"regency" is spelled R-E-G-E-N-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹiːd͡ʒənsi/.
What does "regency" mean?
As a noun, "regency" means: A system of government that substitutes for the reign of a king or queen when that king or queen becomes unable to rule.
What words are commonly confused with "regency"?
"regency" is commonly confused with "regent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "regency"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "regency" is /ˈɹiːd͡ʒənsi/. 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 "regency"?
From Middle English regencie (cf. regente), from Medieval Latin regentia, from Latin regēns, present participle of regō. By surface analysis, regent + -cy; compare also + -ency (“abstract-noun suffix”). 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 "regency", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

reptile#21,046realtor#21,042rapping#21,041rowling#21,051

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

prodigy11 variantssharper11 variantssluggish11 variantssmoothie11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list