dependent

/dɪˈpɛndənt/

//dɪˈpɛndənt// adj

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

"dependent" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dependent” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,440. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,440
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Relying upon; depending upon.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dependent · dependent · English

dependent · rank #4,440 · 14 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,440
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH daughters

Nearest frequency peer: daughters (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “dependent”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “dependent” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dependent vs depending
78% similar
dependent vs despondent
80% similar
dependent vs depended
78% similar

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

Key facts for dependent
PropertyValue
Headworddependent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈpɛndənt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#4,440
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dependent”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).dependentlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “daughters” (#4,439), “discussions” (#4,441), “crucial” (#4,438). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dependent” is #4,440. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around dependent (IPA /dɪˈpɛndənt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #4,440 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for dependent, with forms such as "ddependent", "deepndent", and "depednent". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "depending", "despondent", "depended", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dependaunt, dependent, from Middle French dependant (present participle of dependre (“to depend”)) and Latin dēpendēns (present participle of dēpendeō (“to depend”)). By surface analysis, depend + -ent. The correct English form is dependent, spelled D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Relying upon; depending upon.
  2. 2
    Having a probability that is affected by the outcome of a separate event.
  3. 3
    Used after a particle (with one or two exceptions), such as those which express questions, subordinate clauses, and negative sentences.
  4. 4
    Of part of the body: positioned lower than the heart, like the legs while standing up, or the back while supine.
  5. 5
    Hanging down.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how dependent appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. At that point I was dependent on financial aid for my tuition.
  2. It is time the international community faced the reality: we have an unmanageable, unfair, distortionary global tax regime. […] It is the starving of the public sector which has been pivotal in America no longer being the land of opportunity – with a child's life prospects more dependent on the income and education of its parents than in other advanced co…

Etymology

From Middle English dependaunt, dependent, from Middle French dependant (present participle of dependre (“to depend”)) and Latin dēpendēns (present participle of dēpendeō (“to depend”)). By surface analysis, depend + -ent.

Synonyms

reliantcontingentdependent

Antonyms

independentself-reliant

This word in other languages

dependiente(Español)dépendant(Français)abhängig(Deutsch)dependente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddependent
  • deepndent
  • depednent
  • dependdent
  • dependennt
  • dependentt
  • dependetn
  • dependnet
  • depenednt
  • depenndent
  • depnedent
  • deppendent
  • dpeendent
  • edpendent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dependent - 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.

ddependent1deepndent2depednent2dependdent1dependennt1dependentt1dependetn2dependnet2
Edit distance from "dependent"

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 "dependent"?
"dependent" is spelled D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈpɛndənt/.
What does "dependent" mean?
As an adjective, "dependent" means: Relying upon; depending upon.
What words are commonly confused with "dependent"?
"dependent" is commonly confused with "depending", "despondent", "depended". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dependent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dependent" is /dɪˈpɛndənt/. 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 "dependent"?
From Middle English dependaunt, dependent, from Middle French dependant (present participle of dependre (“to depend”)) and Latin dēpendēns (present participle of dēpendeō (“to depend”)). By surface analysis, depend + -ent. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "dependent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

daughters#4,439Edinburgh#4,444breathing#4,429witnesses#4,421

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

promoting14 variantslifestyle14 variantsguaranteed14 variantsfranchise14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list