vice versa

/ˈvaɪsɪ ˈvɜːsə/

//ˈvaɪsɪ ˈvɜːsə// adv

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

The verdict

“vice versa” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The same but with the two items mentioned reversed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-vice-versa · vice versa · English

vice versa · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "V" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for vice versa
PropertyValue
Headwordvice versa
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈvaɪsɪ ˈvɜːsə/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “vice versa” in English

vice versasits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

vice versa is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈvaɪsɪ ˈvɜːsə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The same but with the two items mentioned reversed.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for vice versa, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin ablative absolute vice versā (“the position having been reversed”), from feminine third declension noun vicis (“arrangement, order, position”) + feminine ablative singular of perfect passive participle versus, from vertō (“to turn, to re… The correct English form is vice versa, spelled V-I-C-E- -V-E-R-S-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    The same but with the two items mentioned reversed.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Since there are two contestants left in the race, either Bob will come first place and Alice second place, or vice versa.
  2. The most loved scholar of the university wrote a memorable diary to his students, and vice versa, the students wrote to him.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ablative absolute vice versā (“the position having been reversed”), from feminine third declension noun vicis (“arrangement, order, position”) + feminine ablative singular of perfect passive participle versus, from vertō (“to turn, to reverse”).

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "vice versa"?
"vice versa" is spelled V-I-C-E- -V-E-R-S-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvaɪsɪ ˈvɜːsə/.
What does "vice versa" mean?
As an adverb, "vice versa" means: The same but with the two items mentioned reversed.
How do you pronounce "vice versa"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vice versa" is /ˈvaɪsɪ ˈvɜːsə/. 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 "vice versa"?
Borrowed from Latin ablative absolute vice versā (“the position having been reversed”), from feminine third declension noun vicis (“arrangement, order, position”) + feminine ablative singular of perfect passive participle versus, from vertō (“to t... 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list