semblance
sem·blance/ˈsɛmblən(t)s/noun
semblance is spelled S-E-M-B-L-A-N-C-E: 9 letters and 2 syllables (sem·blance). It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, semblance means “The outward appearance or form of a person or thing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of semblance is semblances.
How many letters and syllables are in semblance?
| Letters | 9: S-E-M-B-L-A-N-C-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: sem·blance |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 25,367th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is semblance?
Semblance appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce semblance?
- US /ˈsɛmblən(t)s/
Semblance has 2 syllables, split sem·blance in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-semblance.wav, En-us-semblance.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with semblance?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as semblance from its last stressed vowel (/ɛmbləns/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of semblance
- semblances plural
- semblaunce
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does semblance mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The outward appearance or form of a person or thing.
- 2
Followed by of: the outward appearance of a person or thing when regarded as similar to that of another person or thing.
- 3
Followed by of: the outward appearance of a person or thing which is different from what the person or thing actually is; also, an outward appearance of a thing which does not actually exist.
- 4
Followed by of: a person or thing that is seen; an apparition, a vision.
- 5
Followed by of: a person or thing that looks similar to another person or thing; a likeness.
- 6
Followed by of: a bare or mere appearance of something.
- 7
A person's non-verbal behaviour or demeanour which shows their feelings, thoughts, etc., or which is faked to hide such true feelings, thoughts, etc.
- 8
datedIn the form make semblance: an act of appearing; an appearance, a manifestation; also, a false appearance, a pretence.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Semblance in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense quality or state of being similar – see also likeness, resemblance, similarity:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Anschein |
| Portuguese | semelhança |
| Spanish | semblanza, parecido, semejanza |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.