# incense vs intense

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### incense
*noun · IPA /ˈɪnsɛns/ · frequency rank #20,390*
Biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt, often used in religious rites or for aesthetic reasons.

### intense
*adjective · IPA /ɪnˈtɛns/ · frequency rank #3,698*
Of a characteristic: extreme or very high or strong in degree; severe; also, excessive, towering.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/incense-vs-intense