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PlainSpell

sequence

/ˈsi.kwəns/noun, verb

sequence is spelled S-E-Q-U-E-N-C-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 22 times per million words in written English, the 3,939th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, sequence means “A set of things next to each other in a set order; a series” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of sequence is sequences.

How many letters and syllables are in sequence?

Letters8: S-E-Q-U-E-N-C-E
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing22 times per million words; the 3,939th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is sequence?

Sequence appears 22 times per million words in written English, the 3,939th 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 sequence?

  • UK /ˈsiː.kwəns/
  • US /ˈsi.kwəns/
  • US /ˈsi.kwɛns/

Sequence has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-sequence.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of sequence

  • sequences plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • sequencing participle, present
  • sequenced participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does sequence mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A set of things next to each other in a set order; a series.

    An alphabet follows a sequence.

  2. 2

    The state of being sequent or following; order of succession.

    Complete the listed tasks in sequence.

  3. 3

    A series of musical phrases where a theme or melody is repeated, with some change each time, such as in pitch or length (example: opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony).

  4. 4

    A musical composition used in some Catholic Masses between the readings. The most famous sequence is the Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) formerly used in funeral services.

  5. 5

    An ordered list of objects, typically indexed with natural numbers.

  6. 6

    archaicA subsequent event; a consequence or result.

  7. 7

    A series of shots that depict a single action or style in a film, television show, or other video medium.

  8. 8

    A meld consisting of three or more cards of successive ranks in the same suit, such as the four, five and six of hearts.

verb

  1. 1

    To arrange (something) in an order.

    We sequenced the code to keep it organised.

  2. 2

    To determine the order of monomers in (a biological polymer), e.g. of amino acids in (a protein), or of bases in (a nucleic acid).

  3. 3

    To produce (music) with a sequencer.

  4. 4

    To proceed through a sequence or series of things.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate sequence?

Wiktionary records one abbreviation of sequence: seq.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Sequence in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchsuite, séquence (set of things in a set order)
GermanReihenfolge (set of things in a set order), Sequenz (series of musical phrases where a theme or…), Folge (in mathematics, an ordered list of objects)
Portuguesesequência (set of things in a set order), sucessão (in mathematics, an ordered list of objects)
Spanishsecuencia (set of things in a set order), sucesión (in mathematics, an ordered list of objects)

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.

Where does sequence come from?

From Middle English sequence, from Old French sequence (“a sequence of cards, answering verses”), from Late Latin sequentia (“a following”), from Latin sequēns (“following”), from sequī (“to follow”); see sequent.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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