séance

/ˈseɪˌɑns/

//ˈseɪˌɑns// noun

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

"seance" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“séance” is uncommon English (frequency #66,328 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,328
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A ceremony where people try to communicate with the spirits of dead people, usually led by a medium.

Key facts for séance
PropertyValue
Headwordséance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈseɪˌɑns/
Letters6
Frequency rank#66,328
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “séance” 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). séance lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

séance is uncommon English at frequency #66,328 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈseɪˌɑns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for séance, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French séance (“sitting, session”). The correct English form is séance, spelled S-É-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A ceremony where people try to communicate with the spirits of dead people, usually led by a medium.
  2. 2
    The sitting of an assembly to discuss a matter.

Etymology

Borrowed from French séance (“sitting, session”).

This word in other languages

Séance(Deutsch)

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 "séance"?
"séance" is spelled S-É-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈseɪˌɑns/.
What does "séance" mean?
As a noun, "séance" means: A ceremony where people try to communicate with the spirits of dead people, usually led by a medium.
How do you pronounce "séance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "séance" is /ˈseɪˌɑns/. 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 "séance"?
Borrowed from French séance (“sitting, session”). 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 “séance”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-É-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈseɪˌɑns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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