# pretend vs pretense

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### pretend
*verb · IPA /pɹəˈtɛnd/ · frequency rank #4,108*
To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.

### pretense
*noun · IPA /ˈpɹiːtɛns/ · frequency rank #28,675*
The action of pretending; false or simulated show or appearance; false or hypocritical assertion or representation.

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