# necessary vs necessity

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### necessary
*adjective · IPA /ˈnɛs.ə.sɹi/ · frequency rank #1,315*
Required, essential, whether logically inescapable or needed in order to achieve a desired result or avoid some penalty.

### necessity
*noun · IPA /nɪˈsɛsəti/ · frequency rank #8,175*
The quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite.

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