*Sence or Sense? | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
Sense is a noun that means “awareness,” “good judgment,” “particular meaning,” or “vague impression,” or a verb that means “to feel.” It’s also used to refer to the five sensory faculties (smell, touch, taste, hearing, and sight).
“Sence” is a common misspelling and should be avoided. Words with a similar pronunciation are sometimes spelled with a “c” (e.g., “pence”), but others are spelled with an “s” (e.g., dense). Sense belongs to the latter category.
- That doesn’t make any sence to me.
- That doesn’t make any sense to me.
- My sence of smell has completely gone since my cold.
- My sense of smell has completely gone since my cold.
The QuillBot Grammar Checker will fix this and other common mistakes automatically.
Make sense or makes sense
The expression makes sense or make sense is used to express that something is reasonable or logical. It can be modified with an adjective or determiner (e.g., “total,” “complete,” “some”) to qualify or emphasize the statement.
“Make(s) sence” (spelled with a “c”) is a common misspelling and is always incorrect.
After listening to his arguments, she decided that the statement made a lot of sense.
Does it make sense to publish this vacancy during Christmas?
Make sense of
The expression make sense of means “to understand.” It is used as a transitive verb with the thing that is understood as the direct object.
“Make sence of” is a misspelling of this expression and should not be used.
Can you make sense of these instructions?
Thierry couldn’t make sense of math, so he got a tutor.
How to use sense in expressions
Sense (never “sence” with a “c”) is part of many expressions.
| Expression | Definition |
|---|---|
| I guess he’s right, in a sense. | From one perspective |
| You’re talking nonsense! | Speak in an unreasonable or illogical way (the opposite of “talk sense”) |
| You’ll see sense when you grow up. | Stop behaving unwisely |
| I took care of the abandoned dog out of a sense of obligation. | Feeling of responsibility |
| Dominique felt a strong sense of accomplishment after finishing her tasks. | Feeling of achievement |
| It’s common sense to help others. | Sound judgment |
| I wish I could knock some sense into you! | Force (someone) to think or act straight |
| I fell in love with Zoe’s sense of humor. | Ability to be funny or enjoy funny things |
| Josie’s fashion sense is unmatched! | Good understanding of fashion |
Frequently asked questions about sence or sense
- Is it common sense or sence?
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Sense and sence are often confused, but the correct spelling is common sense. “Sence” is a misspelling (in this expression and in any other context) and should be avoided.
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- How do you spell sence?
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Sence and sence are often confused, but sense is the only correct spelling. It’s used as a noun to refer to “awareness” or “good judgment,” as a verb to mean “to feel,” and to refer to the five sensory faculties.
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