Understanding the Difference Between Incidence and Incident

Incidence vs. Incident

Today, we will learn about two words that sound similar but mean different things: incidence and incident.

History of the Words

The word incident comes from Latin, meaning to fall into or happen. We use it to talk about events or happenings. It’s been used this way for a long time.
The word incidence also comes from Latin and means the action of falling upon. It is often used to talk about how often something happens or the number of events in a certain period.

How to Use Them

Incident is a noun that refers to an event or occurrence.
Incidence is a noun that refers to the rate or frequency of events.

Trick to Remember the Difference

A helpful trick: Incident has the extra letter t for a specific event, while Incidence ends with ce to think of facts — many events or how often they happen.

Examples for Incident

• We had a fun incident on our trip when a cat followed us.
• There was an incident at the park yesterday.
• We remember the incident of the dog barking loudly at night.
• Every incident at the school must be reported.
• She laughed while telling us about the funny incident with her hat.

Examples for Incidence

• The incidence of flu is higher in winter.
• Doctors track the incidence of diseases in the area.
• There is a low incidence of rainfall this month.
• They study the incidence of car accidents on this road.
• The incidence of smiles in the classroom makes it a happy place.

Summary

To sum up, use incident when you talk about a specific event that occurs, and use incidence when you refer to how often something happens or the number of events. Remember, incident is for one event, while incidence is for the rate of events.