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” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,261. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,261
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The absence of any sound.

Corpus desk

Index EN-silence · silence · English

silence · rank #3,261 · 11 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,261
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shock

Nearest frequency peer: shock (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “silence”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “silence” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

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.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around silence (IPA /ˈsaɪl(ə)ns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,261 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. When the motor stopped, the silence was almost deafening.
  2. Words like violence break the silence / Come crashing in into my little world

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "silence", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

soldier#3,262railway#3,255violent#3,269poverty#3,251

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

superior11 variantsoffensive11 variantscharity11 variantsColorado11 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "silence". Here's where to go from here.

  • "silence" maps to 6 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "since". View pair
  • 11 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #3,261 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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