repentance

/ɹɪˈpɛntəns/

//ɹɪˈpɛntəns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“repentance” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,792. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,792
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The condition of being repentant, penitent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-repentance · repentance · English

repentance · rank #22,792 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,792
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH renounce

Nearest frequency peer: renounce (-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 “repentance”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “repentance” 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
Key facts for repentance
PropertyValue
Headwordrepentance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈpɛntəns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#22,792
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “repentance”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).repentancelands 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 “renounce” (#22,791), “resonate” (#22,793), “remission” (#22,790). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “repentance” is #22,792. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around repentance (IPA /ɹɪˈpɛntəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,792 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for repentance, with forms such as "erpentance", "reepntance", and "repenatnce". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested circa 14th century, from Old French repentance. More at repent. The correct English form is repentance, spelled R-E-P-E-N-T-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The condition of being repentant, penitent.
  2. 2
    A feeling of regret or remorse for doing wrong or sinning.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 1678, Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, second period God hath denied me repentance. His words gives me no encouragement to believe.
  2. And here, shipmates, is true and faithful repentance; not clamorous for pardon, but grateful for punishment.

Etymology

First attested circa 14th century, from Old French repentance. More at repent.

Synonyms

compunctioncontritionpenitenceremorse

This word in other languages

arrepentimiento(Español)repentance(Français)Reue(Deutsch)arrependimento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erpentance
  • reepntance
  • repenatnce
  • repenntance
  • repentacne
  • repentancce
  • repentanec
  • repentannce
  • repentence
  • repentnace
  • repenttance
  • repetnance
  • repnetance
  • reppentance
  • rpeentance
  • rrepentance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erpentance2reepntance2repenatnce2repenntance1repentacne2repentancce1repentanec2repentannce1
Edit distance from "repentance"

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 "repentance"?
"repentance" is spelled R-E-P-E-N-T-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈpɛntəns/.
What does "repentance" mean?
As a noun, "repentance" means: The condition of being repentant, penitent.
What are common misspellings of "repentance"?
Common misspellings include "erpentance", "reepntance", "repenatnce", "repenntance", "repentacne". The correct spelling is "repentance".
How do you pronounce "repentance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "repentance" is /ɹɪˈpɛntəns/. 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 "repentance"?
First attested circa 14th century, from Old French repentance. More at repent. 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 "repentance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

scholastic#22,806perpetuate#22,765stagnation#22,825sweatshirt#22,834

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

abstinence16 variantsacademically16 variantsindulgence16 variantsgroundwork16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list