There are countless words that are misspelled because they sound like they can be spelled a different way. For example, many misspell label as lable. Another word that’s commonly misspelled is “independent”. Or is it independant?
The only correct spelling of independent is spelled with an “e” instead of an “a”. Although the pronunciation is very similar, spelling it with an “a” would mean it would have an “ant” at the end of the word instead of the proper “ent” that the pronunciation has. There are no circumstances where “independant” is the correct spelling.
The rest of this article will cover why independent is right, and why independant is wrong.
Why Independent Is Right
When you say the word “independent”, it sounds like it can be spelled with an “a”, but this is not correct. This is because to say the word, the ending has to be “ent”. Break it down by the syllables: in-de-pend-ent. It wouldn’t make sense to spell it like: in-de-pend-ant.
To be independent is to be free from control. This tends to be people who can sustain themselves mentally, physically, and financially, or at least one of those three things. It means that you don’t have to depend on anyone else for your livelihood.
If you want to use independent in a sentence, you should use it as an adjective or noun. The adjective version of independent describes being free while the noun version describes an independent person or thing.
Here are a few examples of how to use independent in a sentence:
“After years of being dependent on her parents for support, Ariana wished to become independent.”
“Living on your own has its ups and downs, but once you’re independent, you can do whatever you want.”
“There were few independents left.”
“If you don’t align with the major political parties, you should look into the independent candidates.”
Why Independant Is Wrong
This common mistake comes from replacing the desired “e” with an “a”. You have to listen very closely to how you’re saying “independent”. It should never have an “a” in the word since it doesn’t make sense anywhere in the pronunciation.
Although the two sounds, “ant” and “ent”, are similar, they are not the same. This is why independant is the incorrect spelling and should never be used. This word also isn’t used as a slang word and shouldn’t be treated as such.
Independent or Independant in the U.K
It doesn’t matter where you are in the English speaking world. “Independent” is the correct spelling of the word in the U.K
