resonance

/ˈɹɛzənəns/

//ˈɹɛzənəns// noun

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

The verdict

“resonance” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,131 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,131
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The quality of being resonant.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

resonance vs resonate
78% similar
resonance vs resonant
78% similar
resonance vs refinance
78% similar

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

Key facts for resonance
PropertyValue
Headwordresonance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛzənəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#12,131
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “resonance” 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). resonance 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 resonance is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹɛzənəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,131 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 11 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 resonance, with forms such as "ersonance", "reosnance", and "resnoance". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "resonate", "resonant", "refinance", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French resonance (French résonance), from Latin resonantia (“echo”), from resonō (“I resound”). The correct English form is resonance, spelled R-E-S-O-N-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality of being resonant.
  2. 2
    A resonant sound, echo, or reverberation, such as that produced by blowing over the top of a bottle.
  3. 3
    The sound produced by a hollow body part such as the chest cavity upon auscultation, especially that produced while the patient is speaking.
  4. 4
    Something that evokes an association, or a strong emotion; something that strikes a chord.
  5. 5
    The increase in the amplitude of an oscillation of a system under the influence of a periodic force whose frequency is close to that of the system's natural frequency.
  6. 6
    A short-lived subatomic particle or state of atomic excitation that results from the collision of atomic particles.
  7. 7
    An increase in the strength or duration of a musical tone produced by sympathetic vibration.
  8. 8
    The property of a compound that can be visualized as having two structures differing only in the distribution of electrons.
  9. 9
    An influence of the gravitational forces of one orbiting object on the orbit of another, causing periodic perturbations.
  10. 10
    The condition where the inductive and capacitive reactances have equal magnitude.
  11. 11
    A quality of human relationship with the world.

Etymology

From Old French resonance (French résonance), from Latin resonantia (“echo”), from resonō (“I resound”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ersonance,reosnance,resnoance,resoannce,resonacne,resonancce,resonanec,resonannce,resonence,resonnace,resonnance,ressonance,rresonance,rseonance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ersonance2reosnance2resnoance2resoannce2resonacne2resonancce1resonanec2resonannce1
Edit distance from "resonance"

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 "resonance"?
"resonance" is spelled R-E-S-O-N-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛzənəns/.
What does "resonance" mean?
As a noun, "resonance" means: The quality of being resonant.
What words are commonly confused with "resonance"?
"resonance" is commonly confused with "resonate", "resonant", "refinance". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "resonance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "resonance" is /ˈɹɛzənəns/. 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 "resonance"?
From Old French resonance (French résonance), from Latin resonantia (“echo”), from resonō (“I resound”). 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 “resonance”

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

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