substance

/ˈsʌbstəns/

//ˈsʌbstəns// noun

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

"substance" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“substance” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,900. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,900
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Physical matter; material.

Corpus desk

Index EN-substance · substance · English

substance · rank #4,900 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,900
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH subsequently

Nearest frequency peer: subsequently (-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 “substance”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “substance” 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).

substance vs subspace
78% similar

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

Key facts for substance
PropertyValue
Headwordsubstance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsʌbstəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#4,900
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “substance”

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).substancelands 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 “subsequently” (#4,899), “suggestion” (#4,901), “strict” (#4,898). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “substance” is #4,900. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around substance (IPA /ˈsʌbstəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,900 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for substance, with forms such as "sbustance", "ssubstance", and "subbstance". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "subspace", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English substance, from Old French substance, from Latin substantia (“substance, essence”), from substāns, present active participle of substō (“exist”, literally “stand under”), from sub + stō (“stand”). Displaced native Old English a… The correct English form is substance, spelled S-U-B-S-T-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Physical matter; material.
  2. 2
    Physical matter; material.
  3. 3
    The essential part of anything; the most vital part.
  4. 4
    Substantiality; solidity; firmness.
  5. 5
    Material possessions; estate; property; resources.
  6. 6
    Drugs (illegal narcotics)
  7. 7
    Ousia, essence; underlying reality or hypostasis in the philosophical sense.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.
  2. His wasted hands were stretched out, and worked with a quick and convulsive motion, as if catching some small substances which kept eluding their grasp;...

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English substance, from Old French substance, from Latin substantia (“substance, essence”), from substāns, present active participle of substō (“exist”, literally “stand under”), from sub + stō (“stand”). Displaced native Old English andweorc.

Synonyms

corporeitybodymassmaterialmatterstuffsubstance

Antonyms

nothingvacuumvoidenergyforceheatlightpoweregodreammindpersonalityphantomshadowsoulspirit

This word in other languages

sustancia(Español)substance(Français)Substanz(Deutsch)substância(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sbustance
  • ssubstance
  • subbstance
  • subsatnce
  • subsstance
  • substacne
  • substancce
  • substanec
  • substannce
  • substence
  • substnace
  • substtance
  • subtsance
  • susbtance
  • usbstance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sbustance2ssubstance1subbstance1subsatnce2subsstance1substacne2substancce1substanec2
Edit distance from "substance"

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 "substance"?
"substance" is spelled S-U-B-S-T-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌbstəns/.
What does "substance" mean?
As a noun, "substance" means: Physical matter; material.
What words are commonly confused with "substance"?
"substance" is commonly confused with "subspace". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "substance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "substance" is /ˈsʌbstəns/. 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 "substance"?
Inherited from Middle English substance, from Old French substance, from Latin substantia (“substance, essence”), from substāns, present active participle of substō (“exist”, literally “stand under”), from sub + stō (“stand”). Displaced native Old... 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 "substance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sponsored#4,896Argentina#4,915reception#4,885Baltimore#4,916

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

unexpected15 variantsaccidentally15 variantsregulatory15 variantsQueensland15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list