riddance

/ˈɹɪd(ə)n(t)s/

//ˈɹɪd(ə)n(t)s// noun

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

"riddance" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“riddance” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,003. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,003
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An act of ridding, clearance, or removal; elimination.

Corpus desk

Index EN-riddance · riddance · English

riddance · rank #33,003 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #33,003
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rerun

Nearest frequency peer: rerun (-2 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 “riddance”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “riddance” 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).

riddance vs radiance
75% similar

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

Key facts for riddance
PropertyValue
Headwordriddance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɪd(ə)n(t)s/
Letters8
Frequency rank#33,003
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “riddance”

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).riddancelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “rerun” (#33,001), “ruthlessly” (#33,005), “reprimand” (#33,000). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “riddance” is #33,003. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around riddance (IPA /ˈɹɪd(ə)n(t)s/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #33,003 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 riddance, with forms such as "irddance", "rdidance", and "ridadnce". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "radiance", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Apparently an alteration of earlier Middle English riddeings, ryddyngs, reddyngs (“clearings, clearances”), plural of riddyng, riddynge, rudyng (“clearing away, removal”), partially continuing Old English hryding (“a clearing, cleared land”), by surface ana… The correct English form is riddance, spelled R-I-D-D-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An act of ridding, clearance, or removal; elimination.
  2. 2
    Deliverance, release, setting free; a relief involving getting rid of something.
  3. 3
    The earth thrown up by a burrowing animal.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A gentle riddance. Draw the curtains, go. Let all of his complexion choose me so.
  2. And this kind of riddance is the most pleasant to listen to of all

Etymology

Apparently an alteration of earlier Middle English riddeings, ryddyngs, reddyngs (“clearings, clearances”), plural of riddyng, riddynge, rudyng (“clearing away, removal”), partially continuing Old English hryding (“a clearing, cleared land”), by surface analysis, rid + -ance.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • irddance
  • rdidance
  • ridadnce
  • ridance
  • riddacne
  • riddancce
  • riddanec
  • riddannce
  • riddence
  • riddnace
  • rriddance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of riddance - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

irddance2rdidance2ridadnce2ridance1riddacne2riddancce1riddanec2riddannce1
Edit distance from "riddance"

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 "riddance"?
"riddance" is spelled R-I-D-D-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɪd(ə)n(t)s/.
What does "riddance" mean?
As a noun, "riddance" means: An act of ridding, clearance, or removal; elimination.
What words are commonly confused with "riddance"?
"riddance" is commonly confused with "radiance". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "riddance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "riddance" is /ˈɹɪd(ə)n(t)s/. 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 "riddance"?
Apparently an alteration of earlier Middle English riddeings, ryddyngs, reddyngs (“clearings, clearances”), plural of riddyng, riddynge, rudyng (“clearing away, removal”), partially continuing Old English hryding (“a clearing, cleared land”), by s... 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 "riddance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

renaming#32,999sobering#33,023Srinagar#33,032platelet#32,970

Similar misspelling depth

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

satchel11 variantsPringle11 variantsspandex11 variantsspanked11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list