Which to use
“intentions” and “invention” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,976
- “intentions” frequency rank
- #6,699
- “invention” frequency rank
- 12675
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | intentions | invention |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of intention | Something invented. |
Where the eye mixes intentions and invention
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. intentions runs 10 letters (VCCVCCVVCC) against invention's 9 (VCCVCCVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: intentions vs invention
A purely visual mix-up. intentions (/ɪnˈtɛnʃənz/) and invention (/ɪnˈvɛnʃən/) 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 12675, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
intentions is recorded at frequency rank #5,976, classified as anoun, pronounced /ɪnˈtɛnʃənz/. invention is at rank #6,699, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ɪnˈvɛnʃən/.
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 12675, this pair ranks #480,191 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of intentions vs invention
Shared letters: einot. Private to "intentions": s. Private to "invention": v.
"intentions" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCCVVCC · "invention" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- intentions ← inetntions · inntentions · intenitons · intenntions · intentinos · intentionns · intentionss · intentiosn
- invention ← inevntion · innvention · inveniton · invenntion · invension · inventino · inventionn · inventoin
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "intentions" and "invention" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "intentions" or "invention"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "intentions" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "invention" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #480,191 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "intentions" and "invention" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "intentioned vs intentions". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #480,191 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.