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Referance or reference?

Did you mean reference? Here's the right spelling and how to remember it.

Incorrect

referance

Correct

reference

Letter by letter
CorrectWrong

Correct spelling: reference. Misspelling: referance.

letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there

Memory tip

Refer + ence: the same ending as preference and conference.

Why people write “referance”

The endings -ence and -ance sound identical in speech; this word takes -ence.

Spell-checkers catch the mistake in a document, but not in a handwritten note, a text message or a word game. Writing the word out a few times while saying the tricky part aloud is the quickest way to make reference automatic.

Other misspellings of “reference”

People also write “refrence”. Here is where each one goes wrong.

“refrence”

Letter by letter
CorrectWrong

Correct spelling: reference. Misspelling: refrence.

letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there

The misspelling “refrence” is only one letter off: it leaves out the E.

What does “reference” mean?

reference noun

  1. a remark that calls attention to something or someone

    “she made frequent mention of her promotion”

    Synonyms:mention

  2. a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage

    “the student's essay failed to list several important citations”

    Synonyms:citationciteacknowledgmentcreditmention

  3. an indicator that orients you generally

    “it is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved”

    Synonyms:

  4. a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts

    “he contributed articles to the basic reference work on that topic”

    Synonyms:

reference verb

  1. refer to

    “he referenced his colleagues' work”

    Synonyms:cite

Definitions from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Full dictionary entry

“Reference” in a sentence

  • Keep this guide for future reference.
  • She made frequent mention of her promotion.
  • The student's essay failed to list several important citations.
  • It is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved.

Is “reference” a playable word?

r 1e 1f 4e 1r 1e 1n 1c 3e 1

14 points in Scrabble · 16 in Words With Friends

  • Scrabble (US)
  • Scrabble (UK)
  • Words With Friends

“referance” is not accepted in any of these games. See every word you can make from REFERENCE.

Reference: quick answers

Is it referance or reference?
The correct spelling is reference. “referance” is a misspelling: it does not appear in standard dictionaries or in the Scrabble and Words With Friends word lists. “refrence” is wrong too.
How can I remember how to spell reference?
Refer + ence: the same ending as preference and conference.
What does reference mean?
Reference means: a remark that calls attention to something or someone.