subsidence

/ˈsʌbsɪdəns/

//ˈsʌbsɪdəns// noun

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

"subsidence" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“subsidence” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,397. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,397
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The process of becoming less active or severe.

Corpus desk

Index EN-subsidence · subsidence · English

subsidence · rank #41,397 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #41,397
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH strutting

Nearest frequency peer: strutting (-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 “subsidence”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “subsidence” 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).

subsidence vs subsistence
82% similar

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

Key facts for subsidence
PropertyValue
Headwordsubsidence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsʌbsɪdəns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#41,397
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “subsidence”

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).subsidencelands 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 “strutting” (#41,396), “Straus” (#41,395), “sullen” (#41,399). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “subsidence” is #41,397. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around subsidence (IPA /ˈsʌbsɪdəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #41,397 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for subsidence, with forms such as "sbusidence", "ssubsidence", and "subbsidence". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "subsistence", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Latin subsidens, subsidentis, present participle of subsidere. Equivalent to subside + -ence. The correct English form is subsidence, spelled S-U-B-S-I-D-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The process of becoming less active or severe.
  2. 2
    A sinking of something to a lower level, especially of part of the surface of the Earth due to underground excavation, seismic activity or underground or ground water depletion, or the rocks in a geological basin, due to continued deposition from above.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The subdual or subsidence of the more violent passions.
  2. In the early hours of April 28, 1953, it was completely blocked by a subsidence, which caused the death of five persons, when a pair of semi-detached houses collapsed into the cavity.

Etymology

Latin subsidens, subsidentis, present participle of subsidere. Equivalent to subside + -ence.

This word in other languages

debilitamiento(Español)subsidence(Français)Nachlassen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sbusidence
  • ssubsidence
  • subbsidence
  • subisdence
  • subsdience
  • subsidance
  • subsiddence
  • subsidecne
  • subsidencce
  • subsidenec
  • subsidennce
  • subsidnece
  • subsiednce
  • subssidence
  • susbidence
  • usbsidence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of subsidence - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

sbusidence2ssubsidence1subbsidence1subisdence2subsdience2subsidance1subsiddence1subsidecne2
Edit distance from "subsidence"

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 "subsidence"?
"subsidence" is spelled S-U-B-S-I-D-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌbsɪdəns/.
What does "subsidence" mean?
As a noun, "subsidence" means: The process of becoming less active or severe.
What words are commonly confused with "subsidence"?
"subsidence" is commonly confused with "subsistence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "subsidence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "subsidence" is /ˈsʌbsɪdəns/. 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 "subsidence"?
Latin subsidens, subsidentis, present participle of subsidere. Equivalent to subside + -ence. 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 "subsidence", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sympathise#41,405smothering#41,381Shoreditch#41,379sandalwood#41,365

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

unsaturated16 variantsreintroduce16 variantsorigination16 variantsChesterton16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list