# precedent vs preceding

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### precedent
*noun · IPA /ˈpɹɛs.ɪ.dənt/ · frequency rank #9,939*
An act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future.

### preceding
*adjective · IPA /pɹɪˈsiːdɪŋ/ · frequency rank #10,594*
Occurring before or in front of something else, in time, place, rank or sequence.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/precedent-vs-preceding