# contingency vs contingent

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### contingency
*noun · IPA /kənˈtɪnd͡ʒənsi/ · frequency rank #16,202*
The quality of being contingent, of happening by chance.

### contingent
*noun · IPA /kənˈtɪn.d͡ʒənt/ · frequency rank #11,360*
An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something in the future.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/contingency-vs-contingent