incident

\ɛ̃.si.dɑ̃\

/\ɛ̃.si.dɑ̃\/ adj

The verdict

“incident” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #4,243 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,243
frequency rank, French
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui survient accessoirement dans une affaire.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

incident vs incluent
75% similar
incident vs invitent
75% similar
incident vs incitent
88% similar

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

Key facts for incident
PropertyValue
Headwordincident
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ɛ̃.si.dɑ̃\
Letters8
Frequency rank#4,243
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “incident” 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). incident 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 incident is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɛ̃.si.dɑ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #4,243 in overall French 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 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "incluent", "invitent", "incitent", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is incident, spelled I-N-C-I-D-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui survient accessoirement dans une affaire.
  2. 2
    Élément ayant une valeur accessoire.
  3. 3
    Qualifie les rayons lumineux qui se rencontrent avec les surfaces des corps.
  4. 4
    Qualifie une arête associée à un sommet particulier.

This word in other languages

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 - 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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "incident"?
"incident" is spelled I-N-C-I-D-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is \ɛ̃.si.dɑ̃\.
What does "incident" mean?
As an adjective, "incident" means: Qui survient accessoirement dans une affaire.
What words are commonly confused with "incident"?
"incident" is commonly confused with "incluent", "invitent", "incitent". 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 \ɛ̃.si.dɑ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "incident" come from?
"incident" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “incident”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is I-N-C-I-D-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɛ̃.si.dɑ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “incluent” - see the side-by-side comparison. incident vs incluent
  • 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