covariance

\ko.va.ʁjɑ̃s\

/\ko.va.ʁjɑ̃s\/ noun

The verdict

“covariance” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Méthode mathématique d’évaluation du sens de variation de deux variables (moyenne de leurs produits centrés sur leurs espérances mathématiques, ou encore différence entre la moyenne de leurs produi...

Key facts for covariance
PropertyValue
Headwordcovariance
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ko.va.ʁjɑ̃s\
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “covariance” sits in French frequency

covariance falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

covariance is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed \ko.va.ʁjɑ̃s\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for covariance in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is covariance, spelled C-O-V-A-R-I-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Méthode mathématique d’évaluation du sens de variation de deux variables (moyenne de leurs produits centrés sur leurs espérances mathématiques, ou encore différence entre la moyenne de leurs produits et le produit de leurs moyennes) et permettant de qualifier leur indépendance.
  2. 2
    Correspondance entre l’appartenance à une certaine classe sociale et un certain parler inhérent à cette condition sociale.
  3. 3
    Propriété des types des arguments d’une méthode qui hérite par surcharge, de devenir plus spécialisés également.

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 "covariance"?
"covariance" is spelled C-O-V-A-R-I-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ko.va.ʁjɑ̃s\.
What does "covariance" mean?
As a noun, "covariance" means: Méthode mathématique d’évaluation du sens de variation de deux variables (moyenne de leurs produits centrés sur leurs espérances mathématiques, ou encore différence entre la moyenne de leurs produi...
How do you pronounce "covariance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "covariance" is \ko.va.ʁjɑ̃s\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "covariance" come from?
"covariance" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “covariance”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-O-V-A-R-I-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ko.va.ʁjɑ̃s\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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