vehemence

/ˈviːəmən(t)s/

//ˈviːəmən(t)s// noun

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

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

The verdict

“vehemence” is uncommon English (frequency #72,874 among 7,391 “V” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,874
frequency rank, English
7,391
“V” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An intense concentration, force or power.

Key facts for vehemence
PropertyValue
Headwordvehemence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈviːəmən(t)s/
Letters9
Frequency rank#72,874
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vehemence” 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). vehemence lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

vehemence is uncommon English at frequency #72,874 among 7,391 “V” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈviːəmən(t)s/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for vehemence, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English vehemens, vemance, from Old French vëemence, vehemence, from Latin vehementia (“eagerness, strength”), from vehemens (“eager”). The correct English form is vehemence, spelled V-E-H-E-M-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An intense concentration, force or power.
  2. 2
    A wild or turbulent ferocity or fury.
  3. 3
    Eagerness, fervor, excessive strong feeling.

Etymology

From Middle English vehemens, vemance, from Old French vëemence, vehemence, from Latin vehementia (“eagerness, strength”), from vehemens (“eager”).

This word in other languages

vehemencia(Español)Heftigkeit(Deutsch)

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 "vehemence"?
"vehemence" is spelled V-E-H-E-M-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈviːəmən(t)s/.
What does "vehemence" mean?
As a noun, "vehemence" means: An intense concentration, force or power.
How do you pronounce "vehemence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vehemence" is /ˈviːəmən(t)s/. 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 "vehemence"?
From Middle English vehemens, vemance, from Old French vëemence, vehemence, from Latin vehementia (“eagerness, strength”), from vehemens (“eager”). 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 “vehemence”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is V-E-H-E-M-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈviːəmən(t)s/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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