reverence

/ˈɹɛv.ə.ɹəns/

//ˈɹɛv.ə.ɹəns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“reverence” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,915. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,915
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Veneration; profound awe and respect, normally in a sacred context.

Corpus desk

Index EN-reverence · reverence · English

reverence · rank #21,915 · 14 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,915
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH relieving

Nearest frequency peer: relieving (-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 “reverence”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “reverence” 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).

reverence vs reverend
78% similar
reverence vs reference
89% similar
reverence vs references
80% similar

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

Key facts for reverence
PropertyValue
Headwordreverence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɛv.ə.ɹəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#21,915
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “reverence”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).reverencelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “relieving” (#21,914), “Richter” (#21,916), “Regan” (#21,913). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “reverence” is #21,915. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around reverence (IPA /ˈɹɛv.ə.ɹəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,915 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for reverence, with forms such as "erverence", "reevrence", and "reveernce". 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, "reverend", "reference", "references", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English reverence (noun) and reverencen (verb), from Old French reverence and Latin reverentia, from Latin revereor (“I stand in awe, respect, revere”), from re- + vereor, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to cover, heed, notice”). The correct English form is reverence, spelled R-E-V-E-R-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Veneration; profound awe and respect, normally in a sacred context.
  2. 2
    An act of showing respect, such as a bow.
  3. 3
    The state of being revered.
  4. 4
    A form of address for some members of the clergy.
  5. 5
    That which deserves or exacts manifestations of reverence; reverend character; dignity; state.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. August 2, 1758, Oliver Goldsmith, A Letter from a Traveller Make twenty reverences upon receiving […] about twopence.
  2. When discords, and quarrels, and factions, are carried openly and audaciously, it is a sign the reverence of government is lost.

Etymology

From Middle English reverence (noun) and reverencen (verb), from Old French reverence and Latin reverentia, from Latin revereor (“I stand in awe, respect, revere”), from re- + vereor, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to cover, heed, notice”).

Antonyms

contemptblasphemyprofanity

This word in other languages

reverencia(Español)Ehrfurcht(Deutsch)deferência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • erverence
  • reevrence
  • reveernce
  • reverance
  • reverecne
  • reverencce
  • reverenec
  • reverennce
  • revernece
  • reverrence
  • revreence
  • revverence
  • rreverence
  • rveerence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

erverence2reevrence2reveernce2reverance1reverecne2reverencce1reverenec2reverennce1
Edit distance from "reverence"

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 "reverence"?
"reverence" is spelled R-E-V-E-R-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɛv.ə.ɹəns/.
What does "reverence" mean?
As a noun, "reverence" means: Veneration; profound awe and respect, normally in a sacred context.
What words are commonly confused with "reverence"?
"reverence" is commonly confused with "reverend", "reference", "references". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reverence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reverence" is /ˈɹɛv.ə.ɹəns/. 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 "reverence"?
From Middle English reverence (noun) and reverencen (verb), from Old French reverence and Latin reverentia, from Latin revereor (“I stand in awe, respect, revere”), from re- + vereor, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to cover, heed, not... 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 "reverence", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

relieving#21,914seduction#21,923pictorial#21,896shepherds#21,934

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

panicking14 variantsstraining14 variantsTomlinson14 variantsmenstrual14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list