dépendance

\de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃s\

/\de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃s\/ noun

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

The verdict

“dépendance” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #5,654 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,654
frequency rank, French
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Tout accessoire d’une chose principale, de tout ce qui tient ou se rattache à une chose sans la constituer essentiellement.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dépendance vs dépendant
80% similar
dépendance vs dépendante
90% similar
dépendance vs dépendants
80% similar

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

Key facts for dépendance
PropertyValue
Headworddépendance
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃s\
Letters10
Frequency rank#5,654
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dépendance” sits in French 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). dépendance 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 French entry for dépendance is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃s\. Corpus data places it at rank #5,654 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for dépendance, with forms such as "ddépendance", "dependance", and "dpéendance". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "dépendant", "dépendante", "dépendants", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

No documented word history exists for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is dépendance, spelled D-É-P-E-N-D-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Tout accessoire d’une chose principale, de tout ce qui tient ou se rattache à une chose sans la constituer essentiellement.
  2. 2
    Accessoires d’un domaine.
  3. 3
    Terre qui dépendaient d’une autre.
  4. 4
    Rapports qui lient certaines choses, certains êtres, et qui les rendent nécessaires les uns par rapport aux autres.
  5. 5
    Ce qui traite des rapports d’un mot ou d’un groupe de mots avec tel ou tel mot dont il dépend.
  6. 6
    Sujétion ; subordination.
  7. 7
    Sujétion à un stupéfiant.
  8. 8
    État d’une personne qui ne peut pas (ou très difficilement) effectuer seule les actes essentiels de la vie courante, et qui nécessite pour cela une assistance quotidienne.
  9. 9
    Construction annexe qui dépend d'un bâtiment principal.
  10. 10
    Bibliothèque ou programme tiers utilisé par le programme courant.

Synonyms

addictionassuétudesujétion

Antonyms

indépendance

This word in other languages

outbuilding(English)dependencia(Español)Abhängigkeit(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddépendance,dependance,dpéendance,déepndance,dépednance,dépenadnce,dépendacne,dépendancce,dépendanec,dépendannce,dépenddance,dépendnace,dépenndance,dépnedance,déppendance,édpendance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddépendance1dependance1dpéendance2déepndance2dépednance2dépenadnce2dépendacne2dépendancce1
Edit distance from "dépendance"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dépendance"?
"dépendance" is spelled D-É-P-E-N-D-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃s\.
What does "dépendance" mean?
As a noun, "dépendance" means: Tout accessoire d’une chose principale, de tout ce qui tient ou se rattache à une chose sans la constituer essentiellement.
What words are commonly confused with "dépendance"?
"dépendance" is commonly confused with "dépendant", "dépendante", "dépendants". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dépendance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dépendance" is \de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃s\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "dépendance" come from?
"dépendance" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “dépendance”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is D-É-P-E-N-D-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃s\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “dépendant” - see the side-by-side comparison. dépendance vs dépendant
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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