The English language has many words that sound or look similar and can create a lot of confusion when you want your writing to be concise and understandable.
Pendant and pendent are two such words, and their incredible similarity in spelling and pronunciation frustrates even native speakers. Below we’ve defined each to help you understand the differences in how to spell and pronounce them in examples.
What Does Pendant Mean?
Pendant is a noun and refers to something, usually a piece of jewelry, that hangs from a cord or chain around the neck.
For example:
- She adjusted the pendant hanging from her neck and walked into the room, head held high.
- The pendant had been passed down from her great-grandmother, who brought it all the way from Ireland.
Like most nouns, pendant can also be used as an adjective to provide further description to another related noun.
For example:
- The emerald pendant necklace shimmered in the lights of the room.
What Does Pendent Mean?
Pendent is an adjective and is used to describe something that is hanging, suspended, or dangling in some manner.
For example:
- The pendent branches of the fir tree swayed under the weight of the ornaments placed on them.
- The pendent flower growth patterns added interest to the gardens.
Pendant vs. Pendent
As you can see above, these words mean two very different things but can be easily confused. This confusion stems from the fact they are incredibly similar to one another in both spelling and pronunciation, confusing them with a true homonym (a pair of words that is both spelled and pronounced the same).
But the fact is, they aren’t technically pronounced the same despite their almost identical spelling. Although most people don’t emphasize the difference between the two in their speech, there is a proper way to pronounce each.
- Pendant is pronounced /ˈpɛnd(ə)nt/ and sounds like “pin-dant”
- Pendent is pronounced /ˈpɛndənt/ and sounds like “pen-dent’
Let’s Review
Pendant and pendent are similar enough to cause quite a bit of confusion for speakers new to the English language, as well as native speakers. Their slight variances in pronunciation and their different meanings make it important to use them properly to ensure your sentences are understood.
Pendant is a hanging piece of jewelry, usually a necklace, worn or displayed. Pendent is an adjective that is used to describe a hanging or suspended item. So, technically, a pendent pendant can exist.
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