attend
at·tend/əˈtɛnd/verb
attend is spelled A-T-T-E-N-D: 6 letters and 2 syllables (at·tend). It appears 35 times per million words in written English, the 2,725th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, attend means “To care for (someone requiring attention); specifically, of a doctor, nurse, etc.: to provide professional care to (someone)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in attend?
| Letters | 6: A-T-T-E-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: at·tend |
| In writing | 35 times per million words; the 2,725th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is attend?
Attend appears 35 times per million words in written English, the 2,725th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce attend?
- US /əˈtɛnd/
- US [əˈtʰɛnd]
Attend has 2 syllables, split at·tend in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-attend.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with attend?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as attend from its last stressed vowel (/ɛnd/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of attend
- attends present, singular, he/she/it
- attending participle, present
- attended participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does attend mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To care for (someone requiring attention); specifically, of a doctor, nurse, etc.: to provide professional care to (someone).
- 2
To wait on (someone or their instructions) as an attendant, servant, etc.; also (specifically of a gentleman-in-waiting or lady-in-waiting to a member of royalty), to accompany (someone) in order to assist or wait upon them; to escort.
Servants attend the king day and night.
- 3
To be present at (an event or place) in order to take part in some action or proceedings; also, to regularly go to (an event or place).
Children must attend primary school.
- 4
To take action with respect to (someone, or something such as a concern, problem, or task); to deal with, to handle.
- 5
Of a (chiefly immaterial) thing: to be consequent to or present with (someone or something); to accompany.
a measure attended with ill effects
- 6
archaicobsoleteTo look after (someone or something); to tend.
- 7
Followed by to: to look after someone or something.
Valets attend to their employers’ wardrobes.
- 8
To be ready to wait upon someone or their instructions as an attendant, servant, etc.; also (followed by on or upon), to accompany someone in order to assist or wait upon them.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Attend in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | atender , acudir, presenciar, concurrir, cursar |
| French | assister, être présent, aller, fréquenter |
| German | besuchen, teilnehmen , beachten, kümmern |
| Portuguese | assistir, comparecer, estar presente em, participar de, frequentar , cuidar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does attend come from?
From Middle English attenden, atenden (“to devote oneself (to a task, etc.); to pay attention to (something), to look after; to consider (something); to expect or look forward to (something); to intend to do (something); to help or serve (someone), attend upon; to take care of (something)”), from Old French atendre (“to await, wait for; to expect; to intend”), from Latin attendere, adtendere (“to pay attention to, attend; to direct or turn toward”), from ad- (“prefix meaning ‘to, towards’”) + tendō (“to direct one’s course; to extend, stretch; to exert, strive”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).