turbulence

/ˈtɜː.bjə.ləns/

//ˈtɜː.bjə.ləns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“turbulence” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,040 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,040
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state or fact of being turbulent or agitated; tempestuousness, disturbance.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

turbulence vs turbulent
80% similar

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

Key facts for turbulence
PropertyValue
Headwordturbulence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɜː.bjə.ləns/
Letters10
Frequency rank#14,040
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “turbulence” 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). turbulence lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for turbulence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɜː.bjə.ləns/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,040 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for turbulence, with forms such as "trubulence", "tturbulence", and "tubrulence". 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, "turbulent", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English turbulence (“turbidity, cloudiness”), from Late Latin turbulentia (“trouble, disquiet”). By surface analysis, turbulent + -ence. The correct English form is turbulence, spelled T-U-R-B-U-L-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state or fact of being turbulent or agitated; tempestuousness, disturbance.
  2. 2
    Disturbance in a gas or fluid, characterized by evidence of internal motion or unrest.
  3. 3
    Specifically, a state of agitation or disturbance in the air which is disruptive to an aircraft.
  4. 4
    An instance or type of such state or disturbance.

Etymology

From Middle English turbulence (“turbidity, cloudiness”), from Late Latin turbulentia (“trouble, disquiet”). By surface analysis, turbulent + -ence.

This word in other languages

turbulencia(Español)turbulence(Français)Turbulenz(Deutsch)turbulência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: trubulence,tturbulence,tubrulence,turbbulence,turbluence,turbuelnce,turbulance,turbulecne,turbulencce,turbulenec,turbulennce,turbullence,turbulnece,turrbulence,turublence,utrbulence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

trubulence2tturbulence1tubrulence2turbbulence1turbluence2turbuelnce2turbulance1turbulecne2
Edit distance from "turbulence"

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 "turbulence"?
"turbulence" is spelled T-U-R-B-U-L-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɜː.bjə.ləns/.
What does "turbulence" mean?
As a noun, "turbulence" means: The state or fact of being turbulent or agitated; tempestuousness, disturbance.
What words are commonly confused with "turbulence"?
"turbulence" is commonly confused with "turbulent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "turbulence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "turbulence" is /ˈtɜː.bjə.ləns/. 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 "turbulence"?
From Middle English turbulence (“turbidity, cloudiness”), from Late Latin turbulentia (“trouble, disquiet”). By surface analysis, turbulent + -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.

Using “turbulence”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is T-U-R-B-U-L-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɜː.bjə.ləns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “turbulent” - see the side-by-side comparison. turbulence vs turbulent
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list