Mistake: Dependant vs Dependent

dependant = person (noun); dependent = adjective.

Examples

• She has two dependants.

Key rules

• Dependant is a noun meaning a person who depends on someone else, such as a child
• Dependent is an adjective meaning relying on something: dependent on the weather
• The British and American spellings differ

Common mistakes

• She has two dependent children → She has two dependants
• The result is dependant on the weather → The result is dependent on the weather

Use cases

• Tax and legal forms
• Describing relationships
• Academic writing