koh-IN-sid-uhns
/koʊˈɪnsɪdəns/
Coincidence is pronounced koh-IN-sid-uhns (/koʊˈɪnsɪdəns/). Coincidence is a noun describing a remarkable, often surprising, occurrence of events that appear related by chance but lack any apparent causal connection. It typically refers to two or more things happening at the same time by luck rather than design, prompting surprise, curiosity, or speculation about hidden patterns. The term emphasizes simultaneity and the sense of unexpected alignment.
nounCoincidence is a noun describing a remarkable, often surprising, occurrence of events that appear related by chance but lack any apparent causal connection. It typically refers to two or more things happening at the same time by luck rather than design, prompting surprise, curiosity, or speculation about hidden patterns. The term emphasizes simultaneity and the sense of unexpected alignment.
"It’s a strange coincidence that we both chose the same vacation destination."
"The scientist noted a coincidence between the two datasets, suggesting an underlying link."
"Her meeting him at the airport was pure coincidence, not planning."
US: /ˌkoʊ.ɪnˈsɪ.dəns/ UK: /ˌkəʊ.ɪnˈsɪd.əns/ AU: /ˌkɔɪnˈsɪd.ən s/ (approx) . Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable in the verb form; for the noun, primary stress is on the 'sin' syllable. Break it into co-in-ci-dence with secondary stress on ‘co’ depending on emphasis. Start with KO- or KOH- for the first syllable, then IN as the peak, then- si-dence.” ,
Common errors: misplacing stress (treating it as co-in-CI-dence or co-IN-ci-dence), mispronouncing the second syllable as /ɪ/ instead of /ɪ/ in the expected Schwa-like position, and running the final -dence as /dəns/ instead of /dns/. Correction: place primary stress on the third syllable (IN) in typical noun usage: /ˌkoʊ.ɪnˈsɪdəns/ US. Ensure the middle
US tends to reduce the second syllable more, with /ˌkoʊɪnˈsɪdəns/. UK often has a rounded /ə/ in the first unstressed syllable and a shorter /ɪ/ in the stressed syllable: /ˌkəʊɪnˈsɪd.əns/. Australian: /ˌkɔɪnˈsɪdəns/ with a more open vowel in the first syllable and a flat, clipped final /dns/. Across all, the primary stress remains on the pre-final syllable (the bolded IN), but vowel qualities and rhoticity differ.
It challenges you with its longer multisyllabic structure, the diphthong in the first syllable (co-/kəʊ/ or /koʊ/), the unstressed but audible second syllable, and the final cluster -dence. The sequence /ˌkoʊ.ɪnˈsɪ.dəns/ requires precise placement of the /ɪ/ and the light /d/ plus /ən/; beginners often collapse the second syllable or mispronounce the final /dns/. Practice slowly, focus on the stream of syllables, and use minimal pairs to keep the rhythm clear.
The word hinges on the four-syllable rhythm with a strong center on the third syllable. Emphasize IN in -in-dence, and make the final /dns/ crisp rather than a smooth /dəns/. The presence of a clear stress shift from initial to subsequent syllables makes it listener-friendly if you reproduce the natural prosodic contour: low-stressed first, peak at IN, trailing second consonant cluster /dns/. Focus on separating /ɪ/ and /d/ cleanly.
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Coincidence comes from the French coincidence, from latin *con-’ with, and *evenire* to come to pass; the term’s modern sense centers on events occurring together or together by chance. The English form appears in the 18th century, borrowing directly from French and Latin roots. The word first appears in English literature with the idea of events aligning by happy accident rather than causal link. Over time, the nuance broadened to include any two or more events occurring together with no necessary relation or purposeful arrangement. The evolution includes shifts from “coming together” in a general sense to a more specific note of accidental convergence of events. The pronunciation settled into the stressed second syllable pattern common to many English nouns of Latinate origin.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Coincidence" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Coincidence"
-nce sounds
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