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What other words are like "independence" in British English where you replace the 'a' with an 'e'?

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7  
You mean when going from French to English? "Independence" is correctly spelled with an "e" in English. – Jon Purdy Oct 9 '10 at 6:43
9  
wouldn't it just be easier and faster to check an online dictionary than to ask here? – Epaga Oct 9 '10 at 8:02
No, I was just wondering if there were different words that were like this in such a situation. – JFW Oct 13 '10 at 15:04
4  
Another American chiming in that "independance" is just as incorrect on this side of the pond as it is in England. – Marthaª Nov 1 '10 at 0:04

2 Answers

up vote 17 down vote accepted

I reject your premise that "independance" is the American spelling; it's the French one. Both in British and in American English, "independence" is spelled with an "e". (There's even a federal holiday.)

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You're fighting a losing battle. I refer you to this: english.stackexchange.com/questions/3723/… – Seamus Oct 10 '10 at 10:33
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Not fighting any battles here, simply answering the question. The suffix "-ance" was not invented in the US. – RegDwighт♦ Oct 10 '10 at 12:45
up vote 8 down vote

Other words:

  • definately
  • persistance
  • compatability
  • dependant (depending on context)
  • existance
  • recommandation
  • extant (depending on context)
  • tendancy
  • avarage
  • deterrant
  • occurance
  • referance
  • elimanate
  • accessability
  • efficiant
  • simplar
  • promenant
  • privilage
  • inadvertantly
  • turbulance

They are all misspellings (some more common than others), just as independance is. Source.

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