silence

/ˈsaɪl(ə)ns/

//ˈsaɪl(ə)ns// noun

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

"silence" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“silence” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,261 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,261
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The absence of any sound.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

silence vs since
71% similar
silence vs silent
71% similar
silence vs Spence
57% similar

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

Key facts for silence
PropertyValue
Headwordsilence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsaɪl(ə)ns/
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,261
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “silence” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). silence lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for silence is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsaɪl(ə)ns/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,261 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for silence, with forms such as "islence", "sielnce", and "silance". 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. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "since", "silent", "Spence", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English silence, from Old French silence, from Latin silentium (“silence”), from silēns (“quiet, silent”, present participle of silēre) + -ium. Displaced native Old English swīġe and sālnes. The correct English form is silence, spelled S-I-L-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The absence of any sound.
  2. 2
    The act of refraining from speaking.
  3. 3
    Refraining from speaking, for purposes of prayer or meditation; especially, a form of worship practiced by the Society of Friends (Quakers) during meetings.

Etymology

From Middle English silence, from Old French silence, from Latin silentium (“silence”), from silēns (“quiet, silent”, present participle of silēre) + -ium. Displaced native Old English swīġe and sālnes.

Synonyms

inaudibilityquietnessblack noisecricketshushnoiselessnessquietroosilencestillnesssoundlessnesswhistness

Antonyms

audibilityloudnessvocalitysoundspeechtalk

This word in other languages

silencio(Español)silence(Français)Stille(Deutsch)silêncio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: islence,sielnce,silance,silecne,silencce,silenec,silennce,sillence,silnece,slience,ssilence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of silence - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

islence2sielnce2silance1silecne2silencce1silenec2silennce1sillence1
Edit distance from "silence"

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 "silence"?
"silence" is spelled S-I-L-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsaɪl(ə)ns/.
What does "silence" mean?
As a noun, "silence" means: The absence of any sound.
What words are commonly confused with "silence"?
"silence" is commonly confused with "since", "silent", "Spence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "silence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "silence" is /ˈsaɪl(ə)ns/. 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 "silence"?
From Middle English silence, from Old French silence, from Latin silentium (“silence”), from silēns (“quiet, silent”, present participle of silēre) + -ium. Displaced native Old English swīġe and sālnes. 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.

Using “silence”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-I-L-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsaɪl(ə)ns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “since” - see the side-by-side comparison. silence vs since
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list