accidental

/ˌæk.sɪˈdɛn.tl̩/

//ˌæk.sɪˈdɛn.tl̩// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"accidental" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“accidental” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,277 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#9,277
frequency rank, English
10
letters
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pertaining to accident and not essence; thus, inessential; incidental; secondary.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

accidental vs accidently
80% similar
accidental vs accidentally
83% similar
accidental vs accident
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for accidental
PropertyValue
Headwordaccidental
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌæk.sɪˈdɛn.tl̩/
Letters10
Frequency rank#9,277
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “accidental” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). accidental lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for accidental is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛn.tl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,277 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for accidental, with forms such as "accdiental", "acciddental", and "accidenatl". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "accidently", "accidentally", "accident", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English accidental, from Anglo-Norman accidentel, Middle French accidentel, accidental, and their source, Late Latin accidēntālis; corresponding to accident + -al. The correct English form is accidental, spelled A-C-C-I-D-E-N-T-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pertaining to accident and not essence; thus, inessential; incidental; secondary.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to accident and not essence; thus, inessential; incidental; secondary.
  3. 3
    Adjusted by one or two semitones, in temporary departure from the key signature.
  4. 4
    Occurring sometimes, by chance; occasional.
  5. 5
    Happening by chance, or unexpectedly; taking place not according to the usual course of things; by accident, unintentional.
  6. 6
    Being a double point with two distinct tangent planes in 4-dimensional projective space.

Etymology

From Middle English accidental, from Anglo-Norman accidentel, Middle French accidentel, accidental, and their source, Late Latin accidēntālis; corresponding to accident + -al.

Synonyms

circumstantialincidentaladventitiouscasualcontingentfortuitousoccasionalserendipitousaccidentalaccidentaryby accidentby the bycauselesschanceablelippeningrandomunforeseenunintendedunintentionalunplanned

Antonyms

inevitableimpossibleintentional

This word in other languages

accidental(Español)accidentel(Français)versehentlich(Deutsch)acidental(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: accdiental,acciddental,accidenatl,accidenntal,accidentall,accidentla,accidenttal,accidetnal,accidnetal,acciedntal,acicdental,acidental,cacidental

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of accidental - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

accdiental2acciddental1accidenatl2accidenntal1accidentall1accidentla2accidenttal1accidetnal2
Edit distance from "accidental"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "accidental"?
"accidental" is spelled A-C-C-I-D-E-N-T-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛn.tl̩/.
What does "accidental" mean?
As an adjective, "accidental" means: Pertaining to accident and not essence; thus, inessential; incidental; secondary.
What words are commonly confused with "accidental"?
"accidental" is commonly confused with "accidently", "accidentally", "accident". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "accidental"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accidental" is /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛn.tl̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "accidental"?
From Middle English accidental, from Anglo-Norman accidentel, Middle French accidentel, accidental, and their source, Late Latin accidēntālis; corresponding to accident + -al. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “accidental”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-C-C-I-D-E-N-T-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛn.tl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “accidently” - see the side-by-side comparison. accidental vs accidently
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list