ance

Ance is a common English suffix used to form abstract nouns from verbs or adjectives, indicating a state, quality, or action.

Etymology: It derives from Old French -ance, from Latin -antia, and is part of a family that also includes -ence, -ancy, and -ency. The exact spelling—-ance or -ence—often reflects historical pronunciation and the origin of the base.

Formation and usage: It attaches to a base stem to yield nouns such as appearance, avoidance, importance, dominance, abundance, resistance, instance, and alliance. These nouns typically denote states, qualities, or processes rather than concrete objects, and they appear frequently in formal, academic, and technical writing.

Pronunciation and spelling: The suffix is usually pronounced as /əns/. The choice between -ance and -ence generally depends on the word’s etymology and historical sound changes, rather than a strict rule.

Examples in use: appearance (the way something looks or the act of appearing), avoidance (the act of keeping away), importance (the quality of being important), dominance (the state of being dominant), abundance (a large quantity), resistance (the act or capacity to withstand), instance (an example or case), alliance (a union formed for mutual benefit).

See also: Latin and Romance-derived noun-forming suffixes, including -ence; distinctions between -ance and -ence in English morphology; related suffixes -ancy and -ency.