residence

/ˈɹɛz.ɪ.dəns/

//ˈɹɛz.ɪ.dəns// noun

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

"residence" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“residence” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,904 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,904
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The place where one lives (resides); one's home.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

residence vs resident
78% similar
residence vs residents
78% similar
residence vs residency
89% similar

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

Key facts for residence
PropertyValue
Headwordresidence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛz.ɪ.dəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,904
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “residence” 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). residence 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 residence is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹɛz.ɪ.dəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,904 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 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 residence, with forms such as "ersidence", "reisdence", and "resdience". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "resident", "residents", "residency", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English residence, from Old French residence, from Medieval Latin residentia, from residēns, present participle of resideō, equivalent to reside + -ence. The correct English form is residence, spelled R-E-S-I-D-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The place where one lives (resides); one's home.
  2. 2
    A building or portion thereof used as a home, such as a house or an apartment therein.
  3. 3
    The place where a corporation is established.
  4. 4
    The state of living in a particular place or environment.
  5. 5
    Accommodation for students at a university or college.
  6. 6
    The place where anything rests permanently.
  7. 7
    Subsidence, as of a sediment
  8. 8
    That which falls to the bottom of liquors; sediment; also, refuse; residuum.
  9. 9
    Synonym of rezidentura.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English residence, from Old French residence, from Medieval Latin residentia, from residēns, present participle of resideō, equivalent to reside + -ence.

This word in other languages

residencia(Español)résidence(Français)Wohnsitz(Deutsch)domicílio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ersidence,reisdence,resdience,residance,residdence,residecne,residencce,residenec,residennce,residnece,resiednce,ressidence,rresidence,rseidence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ersidence2reisdence2resdience2residance1residdence1residecne2residencce1residenec2
Edit distance from "residence"

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 "residence"?
"residence" is spelled R-E-S-I-D-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛz.ɪ.dəns/.
What does "residence" mean?
As a noun, "residence" means: The place where one lives (resides); one's home.
What words are commonly confused with "residence"?
"residence" is commonly confused with "resident", "residents", "residency". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "residence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "residence" is /ˈɹɛz.ɪ.dəns/. 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 "residence"?
Inherited from Middle English residence, from Old French residence, from Medieval Latin residentia, from residēns, present participle of resideō, equivalent to reside + -ence. 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 “residence”

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

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