coincidence

/kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/

//kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns// noun

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

"coincidence" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“coincidence” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,542 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,542
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of objects, the property of being coincident; occurring at the same time or place.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

coincidence vs confidence
82% similar

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

Key facts for coincidence
PropertyValue
Headwordcoincidence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/
Letters11
Frequency rank#7,542
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “coincidence” 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). coincidence 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 coincidence is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,542 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for coincidence, with forms such as "ccoincidence", "cioncidence", and "coicnidence". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "confidence", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French coincidence (French coïncidence). By surface analysis, coincide + -ence. The correct English form is coincidence, spelled C-O-I-N-C-I-D-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of objects, the property of being coincident; occurring at the same time or place.
  2. 2
    Of events, the appearance of a meaningful connection when there is none.
  3. 3
    A coincidence point.
  4. 4
    A fixed point of a correspondence; a point of a variety corresponding to itself under a correspondence.

Etymology

From Middle French coincidence (French coïncidence). By surface analysis, coincide + -ence.

Synonyms

concurrentnesssynchronicitysimultaneousnesscoincidence point

This word in other languages

coincidencia(Español)coïncidence(Français)Koinzidenz(Deutsch)coincidência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccoincidence,cioncidence,coicnidence,coinccidence,coincdience,coincidance,coinciddence,coincidecne,coincidencce,coincidenec,coincidennce,coincidnece,coinciednce,coinicdence,coinncidence,conicidence,ocincidence

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of coincidence - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccoincidence1cioncidence2coicnidence2coinccidence1coincdience2coincidance1coinciddence1coincidecne2
Edit distance from "coincidence"

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 "coincidence"?
"coincidence" is spelled C-O-I-N-C-I-D-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/.
What does "coincidence" mean?
As a noun, "coincidence" means: Of objects, the property of being coincident; occurring at the same time or place.
What words are commonly confused with "coincidence"?
"coincidence" is commonly confused with "confidence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "coincidence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coincidence" is /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/. 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 "coincidence"?
From Middle French coincidence (French coïncidence). By surface analysis, coincide + -ence. 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 “coincidence”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-I-N-C-I-D-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “confidence” - see the side-by-side comparison. coincidence vs confidence
  • 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