chance and change differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. chance means “a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances”. change means “an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another”.
/ˈtʃæns/
1.n.a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
“the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington”
2.n.an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
“bad luck caused his downfall”
3.n.a risk involving danger
“you take a chance when you let her drive”
/ˈtʃeɪndʒ/
1.n.an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
“the change was intended to increase sales”
2.n.a relational difference between states; especially between states before and after some event
“he attributed the change to their marriage”
3.n.the action of changing something
“the change of government had no impact on the economy”
| chance | change | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃæns/ | /ˈtʃeɪndʒ/ |
| Said | chans | chaynj |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb, adjective | noun, verb |
| Senses | 9 | 20 |
| How common | Core | Core |
| Synonyms | opportunity | alteration, modification |
Full entry for chance · Full entry for change · More comparisons