Difference between revisions of "Dependant - dependent"
From Hull AWE
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They sound exactly the same. They mean more or less the same. But it is important to the academic mind (and to anyone who cares about correct English) to distinguish between | They sound exactly the same. They mean more or less the same. But it is important to the academic mind (and to anyone who cares about correct English) to distinguish between | ||
| − | *' | + | *'''depend<u>a</u>nt''', which is a [[noun]] – a person; someone who depends on someone else; and |
| − | *' | + | *'''depend<u>e</u>nt''', which is an [[adjective]] – a describing word. |
| + | |||
| + | A person with children is said to have depend'''a'''nts: the children are depend'''e'''nt on the parent. | ||
Among related words, '''independ<U>e</U>nt''' is always with an ‘-e-’, whether adjective or noun; and '''depend<U>e</U>nce''' and '''independ<U>e</U>nce''' (preferable to dependenc<S>y</S> and independenc<S>y</S>) is also spelled ‘-e-’, not ‘-a-’ at the end. | Among related words, '''independ<U>e</U>nt''' is always with an ‘-e-’, whether adjective or noun; and '''depend<U>e</U>nce''' and '''independ<U>e</U>nce''' (preferable to dependenc<S>y</S> and independenc<S>y</S>) is also spelled ‘-e-’, not ‘-a-’ at the end. | ||
[[category:homophones]] | [[category:homophones]] | ||
Revision as of 17:18, 5 August 2007
They sound exactly the same. They mean more or less the same. But it is important to the academic mind (and to anyone who cares about correct English) to distinguish between
- dependant, which is a noun – a person; someone who depends on someone else; and
- dependent, which is an adjective – a describing word.
A person with children is said to have dependants: the children are dependent on the parent.
Among related words, independent is always with an ‘-e-’, whether adjective or noun; and dependence and independence (preferable to dependency and independency) is also spelled ‘-e-’, not ‘-a-’ at the end.
