providence

\pʁɔ.vi.dɑ̃s\

/\pʁɔ.vi.dɑ̃s\/ noun

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

The verdict

“providence” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #11,462 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#11,462
frequency rank, French
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sagesse qui prévoit et qui pourvoit.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

providence vs province
80% similar
providence vs Provence
70% similar
providence vs présidence
80% similar

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

Key facts for providence
PropertyValue
Headwordprovidence
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pʁɔ.vi.dɑ̃s\
Letters10
Frequency rank#11,462
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “providence” 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). providence 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 providence is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pʁɔ.vi.dɑ̃s\. Corpus data places it at rank #11,462 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for providence, with forms such as "porvidence", "pprovidence", and "proivdence". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "province", "Provence", "présidence", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is providence, spelled P-R-O-V-I-D-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sagesse qui prévoit et qui pourvoit.
  2. 2
    Suprême sagesse par laquelle Dieu (ou une autre puissance supérieure) conduit toutes choses.
  3. 3
    Dieu lui-même considéré dans sa providence.
  4. 4
    Chance, bonheur.
  5. 5
    Celui ou celle qui contribue beaucoup à la fortune ou au bonheur d'autrui ou qui songe pour lui à tout ce qui peut lui être utile ou agréable.
  6. 6
    Établissement congrégationniste destiné à l’hébergement, l’éducation religieuse et la formation à un métier des enfants de familles pauvres, dans le Rhône et la Loire à partir du XVIIIᵉ siècle.

Antonyms

improvidence

This word in other languages

providence(English)providencia(Español)Vorsehung(Deutsch)providência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: porvidence,pprovidence,proivdence,provdience,providdence,providecne,providencce,providenec,providennce,providnece,proviednce,provvidence,prrovidence,prvoidence,rpovidence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porvidence2pprovidence1proivdence2provdience2providdence1providecne2providencce1providenec2
Edit distance from "providence"

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 "providence"?
"providence" is spelled P-R-O-V-I-D-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \pʁɔ.vi.dɑ̃s\.
What does "providence" mean?
As a noun, "providence" means: Sagesse qui prévoit et qui pourvoit.
What words are commonly confused with "providence"?
"providence" is commonly confused with "province", "Provence", "présidence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "providence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "providence" is \pʁɔ.vi.dɑ̃s\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "providence" come from?
"providence" 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 “providence”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-R-O-V-I-D-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pʁɔ.vi.dɑ̃s\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “province” - see the side-by-side comparison. providence vs province
  • 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