sixpence

/ˈsɪks.pəns/

//ˈsɪks.pəns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“sixpence” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,899. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,899
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The value of six old pence; half of a shilling; or one-fortieth of a pound sterling.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sixpence · sixpence · English

sixpence · rank #42,899 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,899
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH siting

Nearest frequency peer: siting (-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 “sixpence”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sixpence” 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).

sixpence vs Spence
63% similar
sixpence vs silence
75% similar

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

Key facts for sixpence
PropertyValue
Headwordsixpence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪks.pəns/
Letters8
Frequency rank#42,899
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sixpence”

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).sixpencelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “siting” (#42,898), “SJW” (#42,900), “skank” (#42,901). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sixpence” is #42,899. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around sixpence (IPA /ˈsɪks.pəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,899 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for sixpence, with forms such as "isxpence", "sipxence", and "sixepnce". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Spence", "silence", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From six + pence. The correct English form is sixpence, spelled S-I-X-P-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The value of six old pence; half of a shilling; or one-fortieth of a pound sterling.
  2. 2
    A former British or Irish coin worth six pennies, first minted in 1551.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Finest apples, sixpence each.
  2. When the ferry-boat with her wild freight pushed into the stream, nobody cared sixpence for the wasted time but the captain of the craft.

Etymology

From six + pence.

Synonyms

sixpenny bittannerlordtestertizzyhogpigsow's baby

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • isxpence
  • sipxence
  • sixepnce
  • sixpance
  • sixpecne
  • sixpencce
  • sixpenec
  • sixpennce
  • sixpnece
  • sixppence
  • sixxpence
  • ssixpence
  • sxipence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sixpence - 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.

isxpence2sipxence2sixepnce2sixpance1sixpecne2sixpencce1sixpenec2sixpennce1
Edit distance from "sixpence"

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 "sixpence"?
"sixpence" is spelled S-I-X-P-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪks.pəns/.
What does "sixpence" mean?
As a noun, "sixpence" means: The value of six old pence; half of a shilling; or one-fortieth of a pound sterling.
What words are commonly confused with "sixpence"?
"sixpence" is commonly confused with "Spence", "silence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sixpence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sixpence" is /ˈsɪks.pəns/. 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 "sixpence"?
From six + pence. 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 "sixpence", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

skinhead#42,903solenoid#42,908songbird#42,909Staunton#42,920

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Stormont13 variantssupersede13 variantsthermally13 variantsunattached13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list