variance

/ˈvɛə.ɹi.əns/

//ˈvɛə.ɹi.əns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“variance” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,158 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,158
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of varying or the state of being variable.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

variance vs variant
75% similar
variance vs variants
75% similar
variance vs variable
75% similar

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

Key facts for variance
PropertyValue
Headwordvariance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvɛə.ɹi.əns/
Letters8
Frequency rank#16,158
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “variance” 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). variance 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 variance is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɛə.ɹi.əns/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,158 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for variance, with forms such as "avriance", "vairance", and "varaince". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "variant", "variants", "variable", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English variance, variaunce, equivalent to vary + -ance, from Old French variance or directly from Anglo-Latin variaunce, veriaunce, wariaunce; all from Latin variantia. The correct English form is variance, spelled V-A-R-I-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of varying or the state of being variable.
  2. 2
    A difference between what is expected and what is observed; deviation.
  3. 3
    The state of differing or being in conflict.
  4. 4
    An official permit to do something that is ordinarily forbidden by regulations.
  5. 5
    A discrepancy between two legal documents.
  6. 6
    A departure from a cause of action originally in a complaint.
  7. 7
    The second central moment in probability; the square of the standard deviation.
  8. 8
    The number of degrees of freedom in a system.
  9. 9
    Covariance and contravariance generally.

Etymology

From Middle English variance, variaunce, equivalent to vary + -ance, from Old French variance or directly from Anglo-Latin variaunce, veriaunce, wariaunce; all from Latin variantia.

This word in other languages

varianza(Español)variance(Français)Varianz(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: avriance,vairance,varaince,variacne,variancce,varianec,variannce,varience,varinace,varriance,vraiance,vvariance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

avriance2vairance2varaince2variacne2variancce1varianec2variannce1varience1
Edit distance from "variance"

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 "variance"?
"variance" is spelled V-A-R-I-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɛə.ɹi.əns/.
What does "variance" mean?
As a noun, "variance" means: The act of varying or the state of being variable.
What words are commonly confused with "variance"?
"variance" is commonly confused with "variant", "variants", "variable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "variance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "variance" is /ˈvɛə.ɹi.əns/. 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 "variance"?
From Middle English variance, variaunce, equivalent to vary + -ance, from Old French variance or directly from Anglo-Latin variaunce, veriaunce, wariaunce; all from Latin variantia. 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 “variance”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is V-A-R-I-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈvɛə.ɹi.əns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “variant” - see the side-by-side comparison. variance vs variant
  • 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