incident

/ˈɪn.sɪ.dənt/

//ˈɪn.sɪ.dənt// noun

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

"incident" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“incident” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,795. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,795
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An event or occurrence.

Corpus desk

Index EN-incident · incident · English

incident · rank #2,795 · 12 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,795
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH hide

Nearest frequency peer: hide (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “incident”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “incident” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

incident vs indigent
75% similar
incident vs incidents
89% similar
incident vs incidental
80% similar

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

Key facts for incident
PropertyValue
Headwordincident
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪn.sɪ.dənt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,795
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “incident” 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).incident lands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around incident (IPA /ˈɪn.sɪ.dənt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,795 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for incident, with forms such as "icnident", "inccident", and "incdient". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "indigent", "incidents", "incidental", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Recorded since 1412, from Middle French incident, from Latin incidens, the present active participle of incidō (“to happen, befall”), itself from in- (“on”) + -cidō, the combining form of cadō (“to fall”). The correct English form is incident, spelled I-N-C-I-D-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An event or occurrence.
  2. 2
    A (relatively minor) event that is incidental to, or related to others.
  3. 3
    An event that causes or may cause an interruption or a crisis, such as a workplace illness or a software error.
  4. 4
    An event that causes or may cause an interruption or a crisis, such as a workplace illness or a software error.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She could not recall the time of the incident.
  2. It was an incident that he hoped to forget.

Etymology

Recorded since 1412, from Middle French incident, from Latin incidens, the present active participle of incidō (“to happen, befall”), itself from in- (“on”) + -cidō, the combining form of cadō (“to fall”).

This word in other languages

incidente(Español)incident(Français)Vorfall(Deutsch)incidente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • icnident
  • inccident
  • incdient
  • inciddent
  • incidennt
  • incidentt
  • incidetn
  • incidnet
  • inciednt
  • inicdent
  • inncident
  • nicident

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

icnident2inccident1incdient2inciddent1incidennt1incidentt1incidetn2incidnet2
Edit distance from "incident"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "incident"?
"incident" is spelled I-N-C-I-D-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪn.sɪ.dənt/.
What does "incident" mean?
As a noun, "incident" means: An event or occurrence.
What words are commonly confused with "incident"?
"incident" is commonly confused with "indigent", "incidents", "incidental". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "incident"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incident" is /ˈɪn.sɪ.dənt/. 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 "incident"?
Recorded since 1412, from Middle French incident, from Latin incidens, the present active participle of incidō (“to happen, befall”), itself from in- (“on”) + -cidō, the combining form of cadō (“to fall”). 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 "incident", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

messages#2,799exciting#2,790Michigan#2,800constant#2,781

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

bathroom12 variantssomewhat12 variantsreplaced12 variantsPakistan12 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "incident". Here's where to go from here.

  • "incident" maps to 4 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "indigent". View pair
  • 12 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,795 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "I" letter cohort. I–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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