spearman's rank-order coefficient: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Academic / Technical
Quick answer
What does “spearman's rank-order coefficient” mean?
A statistical measure, also known as Spearman's rho, that assesses the strength and direction of association between two ranked variables.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A statistical measure, also known as Spearman's rho, that assesses the strength and direction of association between two ranked variables.
A non-parametric measure of rank correlation, used when data are not normally distributed or when the relationship is monotonic but not necessarily linear.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences. In academic writing, both regions use the same terminology.
Connotations
Technical, statistical, precise.
Frequency
Used exclusively in statistics, psychology, and scientific research contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “spearman's rank-order coefficient” in a Sentence
[Subject] calculated Spearman's rank-order coefficient for [Variable 1] and [Variable 2][Subject] used Spearman's rank-order coefficient to assess [Relationship]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “spearman's rank-order coefficient” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We spearman-ranked the data.
- The variables were spearman-correlated.
American English
- We ran a Spearman correlation.
- The analysis was performed using Spearman's method.
adverb
British English
- The data were analysed Spearman-style.
- They correlated the variables Spearmanly.
American English
- The data were correlated using Spearman's method.
- They analysed it in a Spearman fashion.
adjective
British English
- The Spearman correlation analysis was significant.
- A Spearman's rho value was obtained.
American English
- The Spearman rank-order coefficient was .78.
- We used a Spearman correlation test.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used, except in market research analysis.
Academic
Common in statistics, psychology, social science, and medical research papers.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
The primary context.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “spearman's rank-order coefficient”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “spearman's rank-order coefficient”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “spearman's rank-order coefficient”
- Incorrectly capitalising 'rank-order' or 'coefficient' when not at the start of the sentence.
- Referring to it as 'Spearman's coefficient' without specifying the type, which is ambiguous.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Spearman's rho is a non-parametric measure for ranked/ordinal data and monotonic relationships, while Pearson's r is a parametric measure for interval/ratio data and linear relationships.
Use it when your data are ranks (ordinal), when the relationship is monotonic but not necessarily linear, or when the data violate assumptions of normality required for Pearson's correlation.
It ranges from -1 to +1, where -1 indicates a perfect negative monotonic relationship, +1 indicates a perfect positive monotonic relationship, and 0 indicates no monotonic relationship.
Yes, 'Spearman's rho' is the common abbreviated name for 'Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient'.
A statistical measure, also known as Spearman's rho, that assesses the strength and direction of association between two ranked variables.
Spearman's rank-order coefficient is usually academic / technical in register.
Spearman's rank-order coefficient: in British English it is pronounced /ˈspɪəmənz ræŋk ˈɔːdə kəʊˈɪʃnt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈspɪrmənz ræŋk ˈɔrdər ˌkoʊəˈfɪʃnt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SPEARMAN: Statistics, Paired, Evaluates, Association, Ranked, Measures, Analysis, Non-parametric.
Conceptual Metaphor
ORDER AS A LADDER (the coefficient measures how closely two ranked lists 'climb' together).
Practice
Quiz
What does Spearman's rank-order coefficient measure?