quintessence

\kɛ̃.te.sɑ̃s\

/\kɛ̃.te.sɑ̃s\/ noun

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

The verdict

“quintessence” has 16 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #35,667. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,667
frequency rank, French
11,618
“Q” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Cinquième élément, qui s’ajoute chez les philosophes anciens aux quatre premiers (la terre, le feu, l’air, l’eau) et qui en assure la cohésion ou la vie.

Key facts for quintessence
PropertyValue
Headwordquintessence
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kɛ̃.te.sɑ̃s\
Letters12
Frequency rank#35,667
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “quintessence” 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). quintessence lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around quintessence (IPA \kɛ̃.te.sɑ̃s\), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,667 among 11,618 “Q” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for quintessence, with forms such as "qiuntessence", "qquintessence", and "quinetssence". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, 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 easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is quintessence, spelled Q-U-I-N-T-E-S-S-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cinquième élément, qui s’ajoute chez les philosophes anciens aux quatre premiers (la terre, le feu, l’air, l’eau) et qui en assure la cohésion ou la vie.
  2. 2
    Partie la plus subtile extraite de quelques corps, essence, éther.
  3. 3
    Essence, concentré.
  4. 4
    Ce qu’il y a de principal, de plus précieux, de plus caché dans une affaire, dans un discours, dans un livre.
  5. 5
    Ce qu’il y a de plus fin, d’essentiel, de meilleur dans une chose ou chez une personne.
  6. 6
    Forme subtile, épurée, abstraite, éthérée.
  7. 7
    Forme hypothétique d’énergie noire, proposée comme explication aux observations de l’accélération de l’expansion de l’univers.

This word in other languages

quintessence(English)quintaesencia(Español)Quintessenz(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • qiuntessence
  • qquintessence
  • quinetssence
  • quinntessence
  • quintesence
  • quintesesnce
  • quintessecne
  • quintessencce
  • quintessenec
  • quintessennce
  • quintessnece
  • quintsesence
  • quinttessence
  • quitnessence
  • qunitessence
  • uqintessence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of quintessence - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

qiuntessence2qquintessence1quinetssence2quinntessence1quintesence1quintesesnce2quintessecne2quintessencce1
Edit distance from "quintessence"

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 "quintessence"?
"quintessence" is spelled Q-U-I-N-T-E-S-S-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \kɛ̃.te.sɑ̃s\.
What does "quintessence" mean?
As a noun, "quintessence" means: Cinquième élément, qui s’ajoute chez les philosophes anciens aux quatre premiers (la terre, le feu, l’air, l’eau) et qui en assure la cohésion ou la vie.
What are common misspellings of "quintessence"?
Common misspellings include "qiuntessence", "qquintessence", "quinetssence", "quinntessence", "quintesence". The correct spelling is "quintessence".
How do you pronounce "quintessence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quintessence" is \kɛ̃.te.sɑ̃s\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "quintessence" come from?
"quintessence" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “quintessence”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is Q-U-I-N-T-E-S-S-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \kɛ̃.te.sɑ̃s\ (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

Same frequency band

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