Italian words ending in -nza (from English -nce)

Q: How do I choose between -anza and -enza?

Keep the English vowel. Importance → importanza, preference → preferenza.

English -nce becomes Italian -nza, and the English vowel tells you which one: distance → distanza, experience → esperienza, importance → importanza.

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How the rule works

-ance → -anza; -ence → -enza.
All feminine: la distanza, l'esperienza.
Plural is -nze: distanza → distanze.
The z is “ts” again: dis-TAN-tsa.
English x often becomes s: experience → esperienza.

Start with these

experience → esperienza
evidence → evidenza
science → scienza
conference → conferenza
difference → differenza
distance → distanza

Every verified word in this family (158)

Each pair below was checked on both sides: the Italian word exists in a spell-checker and a frequency list, and the meaning was cross-checked rather than assumed from the spelling. Tap 🔊 to hear it.

absence→assenzaLatin absentia
acquiescence→acquiescenza
adolescence→adolescenza
affluence→affluenza
alliance→alleanzaFrench alliance
ambivalence→ambivalenza
ambulance→ambulanza
appearance→apparenzaLatin apparentia
arrogance→arroganzaLatin arrogantia
assistance→assistenzaLatin assistentia
assonance→assonanza
beneficence→beneficenza
benevolence→benevolenza
bioluminescence→bioluminescenza
cadence→cadenzaLatin cadēns
circumstance→circostanza
clemence→clemenza
coalescence→coalescenza
coincidence→coincidenza
competence→competenzaLatin competentia
concordance→concordanza
concupiscence→concupiscenza
conference→conferenza
confluence→confluenza
congruence→congruenza
conscience→coscienzaLatin cōnscientia
consequence→conseguenza
consistence→consistenza
consonance→consonanza
continence→continenza
convalescence→convalescenza
convenience→convenienza
convergence→convergenza
corpulence→corpulenza
credence→credenzaLatin crēdēns
decadence→decadenza
deference→deferenza
deterrence→deterrenza
deviance→devianza
difference→differenzaLatin differentia
diffidence→diffidenza
diligence→diligenza
discordance→discordanza
dissidence→dissidenza
dissonance→dissonanza
distance→distanzaLatin distantia
divergence→divergenza
dominance→dominanza
effervescence→effervescenza
efflorescence→efflorescenza
elegance→eleganza
eloquence→eloquenza
emergence→emergenzaLatin emergens ‘ēmergentem’
eminence→eminenza
endurance→resistenzaLatin resistentia
equidistance→equidistanza
equivalence→equivalenza
esperance→esperanza
essence→essenzaLatin essentia
evanescence→evanescenza
evidence→evidenzaLatin ēvidentia
excellence→eccellenzaLatin excellentia
existence→esistenzaLatin existentia
experience→esperienzaLatin experientia
finance→finanza
flatulence→flatulenza
fluorescence→fluorescenza
fragrance→fragranza
ignorance→ignoranzaLatin ignorantia
imminence→imminenza
impermanence→impermanenza
impertinence→impertinenza
importance→importanzaLatin importantia
impotence→impotenza
impudence→impudenza
incandescence→incandescenza
incidence→incidenza
incongruence→incongruenza
inconvenience→inconvenienza
independence→indipendenza
indigence→indigenza
indolence→indolenza
inference→inferenza
influence→influenzaLatin īnfluentia
innocence→innocenzaLatin innocentia
insistence→insistenza
insolence→insolenza
intelligence→intelligenza
intemperance→intemperanza
interference→interferenza
intermittence→intermittenza
intransigence→intransigenza
iridescence→iridescenza
licence→licenza
luminescence→luminescenza
magnificence→magnificenza
malevolence→malevolenza
militance→militanza
munificence→munificenza
negligence→negligenzaLatin negligentia
neuroscience→neuroscienza
obsolescence→obsolescenza
occurrence→occorrenzaLatin occurrentia
opalescence→opalescenza
opulence→opulenza
ordinance→ordinanza
patience→pazienzaLatin patientia
penitence→penitenzaLatin paenitentia
permanence→permanenza
perseverance→perseveranza
persistence→persistenza
pertinence→pertinenza
pestilence→pestilenza
petulance→petulanza
preadolescence→preadolescenza
precedence→precedenza
preference→preferenzaLatin praeferentia
preponderance→preponderanza
prescience→prescienza
presence→presenzaLatin praesentia
prominence→prominenzaLatin prominentia
protuberance→protuberanza
provence→provenza
provenience→provenienza
providence→provvidenzaLatin prōvidentia ‘providence, forethought’
pseudoscience→pseudoscienza
pubescence→pubescenza
putrescence→putrescenza
quiescence→quiescenza
quintessence→quintessenza
recrudescence→recrudescenza
reference→referenza
reminiscence→reminiscenza
residence→residenzaLatin residēns ‘residing’
resilience→resilienza
resistance→resistenzaLatin resistentia
reticence→reticenza
romance→romanza
sapience→sapienza
science→scienzaLatin scientia
senescence→senescenza
sequence→sequenzaLatin sequēns
significance→significanza
stance→stanza
subsidence→subsidenza
substance→sostanzaLatin substantia
succulence→succulenza
teleconference→teleconferenza
temperance→temperanzaLatin temperantia
tolerance→tolleranzaLatin tolerantia
truculence→truculenza
tumescence→tumescenza
valence→valenza
variance→varianza
videoconference→videoconferenza
vigilance→vigilanzaLatin vigilantia
violence→violenza
virulence→virulenza

Traps in this family

vacanza is not vacancy — it means holiday. For “vacancy” say posto vacante.

More Italian false friends →

FAQ

How do I choose between -anza and -enza?
Keep the English vowel. Importance → importanza, preference → preferenza.

Why esperienza and not experienza?
Italian avoids the letter x in native vocabulary; Latin ex- surfaces as es-. The same happens in esempio (example).

Other Italian word keys

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