severance

/ˈsɛv.ɹəns/

//ˈsɛv.ɹəns// noun

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

"severance" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“severance” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,670. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,670
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of severing or the state of being severed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-severance · severance · English

severance · rank #23,670 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,670
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH seniority

Nearest frequency peer: seniority (-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 “severance”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “severance” 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
Key facts for severance
PropertyValue
Headwordseverance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɛv.ɹəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#23,670
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “severance”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).severancelands 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 “seniority” (#23,669), “sheath” (#23,671), “shillings” (#23,672). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “severance” is #23,670. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around severance (IPA /ˈsɛv.ɹəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,670 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for severance, with forms such as "esverance", "seevrance", and "sevearnce". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: English sever + -ance, from Middle English severaunce, from Anglo-Norman, Old French sevrance, from sevrer. The correct English form is severance, spelled S-E-V-E-R-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of severing or the state of being severed.
  2. 2
    A separation.
  3. 3
    A severance payment.

Etymology

English sever + -ance, from Middle English severaunce, from Anglo-Norman, Old French sevrance, from sevrer.

Synonyms

separationseverance paymentseverance pay

This word in other languages

truncamiento(Español)Scheidung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • esverance
  • seevrance
  • sevearnce
  • severacne
  • severancce
  • severanec
  • severannce
  • severence
  • severnace
  • severrance
  • sevreance
  • sevverance
  • sseverance
  • sveerance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

esverance2seevrance2sevearnce2severacne2severancce1severanec2severannce1severence1
Edit distance from "severance"

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 "severance"?
"severance" is spelled S-E-V-E-R-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛv.ɹəns/.
What does "severance" mean?
As a noun, "severance" means: The act of severing or the state of being severed.
What are common misspellings of "severance"?
Common misspellings include "esverance", "seevrance", "sevearnce", "severacne", "severancce". The correct spelling is "severance".
How do you pronounce "severance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "severance" is /ˈsɛv.ɹəns/. 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 "severance"?
English sever + -ance, from Middle English severaunce, from Anglo-Norman, Old French sevrance, from sevrer. 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 "severance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

seniority#23,669shillings#23,672shortcuts#23,673shorthand#23,674

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

remodeling14 variantsvigilance14 variantsbattleship14 variantsintensify14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list