sequence

/ˈsiː.kwəns/

//ˈsiː.kwəns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“sequence” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,982. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,982
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A set of things next to each other in a set order; a series.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sequence · sequence · English

sequence · rank #3,982 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,982
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sept

Nearest frequency peer: sept (-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 “sequence”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sequence” 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).

sequence vs sequencer
89% similar
sequence vs sentence
75% similar

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

Key facts for sequence
PropertyValue
Headwordsequence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsiː.kwəns/
Letters8
Frequency rank#3,982
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sequence”

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).sequencelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “sept” (#3,981), “Singapore” (#3,983), “screaming” (#3,980). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sequence” is #3,982. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around sequence (IPA /ˈsiː.kwəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,982 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for sequence, with forms such as "esquence", "seqeunce", and "seqquence". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "sequencer", "sentence", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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. The correct English form is sequence, spelled S-E-Q-U-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A set of things next to each other in a set order; a series.
  2. 2
    The state of being sequent or following; order of succession.
  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
    A 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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. An alphabet follows a sequence.
  2. The risks involved in changing the DNA sequence is higher.

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

arraychainconsecutionsequenceseriesstringsuccessiontrain

Antonyms

hodgepodge

This word in other languages

secuencia(Español)suite(Français)Reihenfolge(Deutsch)sequência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • esquence
  • seqeunce
  • seqquence
  • sequance
  • sequecne
  • sequencce
  • sequenec
  • sequennce
  • sequnece
  • seuqence
  • sqeuence
  • ssequence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sequence - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

esquence2seqeunce2seqquence1sequance1sequecne2sequencce1sequenec2sequennce1
Edit distance from "sequence"

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 "sequence"?
"sequence" is spelled S-E-Q-U-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsiː.kwəns/.
What does "sequence" mean?
As a noun, "sequence" means: A set of things next to each other in a set order; a series.
What words are commonly confused with "sequence"?
"sequence" is commonly confused with "sequencer", "sentence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sequence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sequence" is /ˈsiː.kwəns/. 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 "sequence"?
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. 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 "sequence", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

reporter#3,976operated#3,965indicate#3,952grateful#3,947

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

stretch12 variantsterrorist12 variantspreferred12 variantsdelicious12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list