temperance

/ˈtɛmpəɹəns/

//ˈtɛmpəɹəns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“temperance” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,019. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,019
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence.

Corpus desk

Index EN-temperance · temperance · English

temperance · rank #24,019 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #24,019
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH technological…

Nearest frequency peer: technologically (-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 “temperance”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “temperance” 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).

temperance vs temperate
80% similar

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

Key facts for temperance
PropertyValue
Headwordtemperance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛmpəɹəns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#24,019
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “temperance”

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).temperancelands 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 “technologically” (#24,018), “taser” (#24,017), “tardis” (#24,016). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “temperance” is #24,019. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around temperance (IPA /ˈtɛmpəɹəns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,019 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for temperance, with forms such as "etmperance", "temeprance", and "temmperance". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "temperate", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman temperance, from Latin temperantia (“moderation, sobriety, discretion, self-control”), from temperans, present participle of temperare (“to moderate”). See temper. English equivalent temper + -ance. The correct English form is temperance, spelled T-E-M-P-E-R-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence.
  2. 2
    Moderation, and sometimes abstinence, in respect to using intoxicating liquors.
  3. 3
    Moderation of passion; calmness.
  4. 4
    State with regard to heat or cold; temperature.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. temperance in eating and drinking
  2. temperance in the indulgence of joy

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman temperance, from Latin temperantia (“moderation, sobriety, discretion, self-control”), from temperans, present participle of temperare (“to moderate”). See temper. English equivalent temper + -ance.

Antonyms

intemperancegluttony

This word in other languages

templanza(Español)sobriété(Français)Mäßigung(Deutsch)temperança(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etmperance
  • temeprance
  • temmperance
  • tempearnce
  • temperacne
  • temperancce
  • temperanec
  • temperannce
  • temperence
  • tempernace
  • temperrance
  • tempperance
  • tempreance
  • tepmerance
  • tmeperance
  • ttemperance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of temperance - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

etmperance2temeprance2temmperance1tempearnce2temperacne2temperancce1temperanec2temperannce1
Edit distance from "temperance"

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 "temperance"?
"temperance" is spelled T-E-M-P-E-R-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛmpəɹəns/.
What does "temperance" mean?
As a noun, "temperance" means: Habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence.
What words are commonly confused with "temperance"?
"temperance" is commonly confused with "temperate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "temperance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "temperance" is /ˈtɛmpəɹəns/. 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 "temperance"?
From Anglo-Norman temperance, from Latin temperantia (“moderation, sobriety, discretion, self-control”), from temperans, present participle of temperare (“to moderate”). See temper. English equivalent temper + -ance. 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 "temperance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

tablespoon#24,014supersonic#24,009regenerate#23,969provenance#23,955

Similar misspelling depth

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

abbreviation16 variantsmischievous16 variantsmarshmallow16 variantsdispleasure16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list