significance

/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/

//sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns// noun

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

"significance" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“significance” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,363. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,363
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
19
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The extent to which something matters; importance

Corpus desk

Index EN-significance · significance · English

significance · rank #5,363 · 19 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,363
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shoulders

Nearest frequency peer: shoulders (-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 “significance”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “significance” 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).

significance vs significant
83% similar

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

Key facts for significance
PropertyValue
Headwordsignificance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/
Letters12
Frequency rank#5,363
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “significance”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).significancelands 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 “shoulders” (#5,362), “sits” (#5,364), “she'll” (#5,361). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “significance” is #5,363. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around significance (IPA /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,363 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for significance, with forms such as "isgnificance", "sginificance", and "siggnificance". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "significant", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English significaunce, from Middle French significance, from Old French significance, from Latin significantia. Doublet of signifiance. The correct English form is significance, spelled S-I-G-N-I-F-I-C-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The extent to which something matters; importance
  2. 2
    Meaning.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. As a juror your opinion is of great significance for the outcome of the trial.
  2. Of more significance in the nature of branch development; in the Jubulaceae, as in the Porellaceae, branches are acroscopic and normally replace a ventral leaf lobe.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English significaunce, from Middle French significance, from Old French significance, from Latin significantia. Doublet of signifiance.

Synonyms

importportentportentousness

This word in other languages

significado(Español)importance(Français)Bedeutung(Deutsch)significado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • isgnificance
  • sginificance
  • siggnificance
  • siginficance
  • signfiicance
  • signifciance
  • signifficance
  • signifiacnce
  • significacne
  • significancce
  • significanec
  • significannce
  • significcance
  • significence
  • significnace
  • signiifcance
  • signnificance
  • singificance
  • ssignificance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

isgnificance2sginificance2siggnificance1siginficance2signfiicance2signifciance2signifficance1signifiacnce2
Edit distance from "significance"

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 "significance"?
"significance" is spelled S-I-G-N-I-F-I-C-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/.
What does "significance" mean?
As a noun, "significance" means: The extent to which something matters; importance
What words are commonly confused with "significance"?
"significance" is commonly confused with "significant". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "significance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "significance" is /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/. 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 "significance"?
Inherited from Middle English significaunce, from Middle French significance, from Old French significance, from Latin significantia. Doublet of signifiance. 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 "significance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

metropolitan#5,339corporations#5,406surveillance#5,456installation#5,508

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

revolutionary19 variantsChristianity19 variantssatisfaction19 variantsproductivity19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list