Which to use
“intention” and “intonation” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,095
- “intention” frequency rank
- #35,362
- “intonation” frequency rank
- 39457
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | intention | intonation |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A course of action that a person intends to follow. | The rise and fall of the voice in speaking. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set intention and intonation apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. intention (/ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/) and intonation (/ɪntəˈneɪʃən/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39457, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
intention is recorded at frequency rank #4,095, classified as anoun, pronounced /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/. intonation is at rank #35,362, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɪntəˈneɪʃən/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 39457, this pair ranks #276,519 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of intention vs intonation
Shared letters: inot. Private to "intention": e. Private to "intonation": a.
"intention" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVVC · "intonation" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCVCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- intention ← inetntion · inntention · inteniton · intenntion · intension · intentino · intentionn · intentoin
- intonation ← inntonation · inotnation · intnoation · intoantion · intonaiton · intonasion · intonatino · intonationn
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "intention" and "intonation" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "intention" or "intonation"?
Remembering intention vs intonation
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “intention” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable