lance

\lɑ̃s\

/\lɑ̃s\/ noun

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

The verdict

“lance” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,441 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,441
frequency rank, French
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Arme à long bois, terminée par un fer pointu et qui, au Moyen Âge, était fort grosse vers la poignée.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lance vs lune
60% similar
lance vs lave
60% similar
lance vs line
60% similar

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

Key facts for lance
PropertyValue
Headwordlance
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\lɑ̃s\
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,441
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lance” sits in French 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). lance 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 French entry for lance is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \lɑ̃s\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,441 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for lance, with forms such as "alnce", "lacne", and "lancce". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "lune", "lave", "line", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is lance, spelled L-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Arme à long bois, terminée par un fer pointu et qui, au Moyen Âge, était fort grosse vers la poignée.
  2. 2
    Longue pique dont certains corps de cavalerie en France ou à l’étranger étaient armés.
  3. 3
    Homme d’armes armé d’une lance, lancier.
  4. 4
    Toutes sortes d’objets qui en rappellent la forme.
  5. 5
    Toutes sortes d’objets qui en rappellent la forme.
  6. 6
    Tuyau terminé par un embout solide plus ou moins long et utilisé pour arroser.
  7. 7
    Meuble représentant l’arme du même nom dans les armoiries. Elle est généralement représentée sous la forme d'une lance de tournoi. À rapprocher de dard, épieu, javelot, lance de tournoi et pique.
  8. 8
    Pièce du jeu de shōgi, qui avance d’une ou de plusieurs cases, toujours vers l’avant, et qui doit être promue une fois arrivée sur la dernière rangée.

Synonyms

épieujavelinejavelotpique

This word in other languages

lance(English)lanza(Español)Speer(Deutsch)lança(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: alnce,lacne,lancce,lanec,lannce,llance,lnace

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alnce2lacne2lancce1lanec2lannce1llance1lnace2
Edit distance from "lance"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "lance"?
"lance" is spelled L-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \lɑ̃s\.
What does "lance" mean?
As a noun, "lance" means: Arme à long bois, terminée par un fer pointu et qui, au Moyen Âge, était fort grosse vers la poignée.
What words are commonly confused with "lance"?
"lance" is commonly confused with "lune", "lave", "line". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lance" is \lɑ̃s\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "lance" come from?
"lance" 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 “lance”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is L-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \lɑ̃s\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “lune” - see the side-by-side comparison. lance vs lune
  • 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