attend

/əˈtɛnd/

//əˈtɛnd// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"attend" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“attend” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,714 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,714
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

attend vs attest
67% similar
attend vs attuned
71% similar
attend vs attended
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for attend
PropertyValue
Headwordattend
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈtɛnd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,714
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “attend” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). attend lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for attend is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈtɛnd/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,714 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 22 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for attend, with forms such as "atend", "atetnd", and "attedn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "attest", "attuned", "attended", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *h₂éd 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 (so… The correct English form is attend, spelled A-T-T-E-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  2. 2
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  3. 3
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  4. 4
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  5. 5
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  6. 6
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  7. 7
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  8. 8
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  9. 9
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  10. 10
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  11. 11
    Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
  12. 12
    Senses relating to directing one's attention.
  13. 13
    Senses relating to directing one's attention.
  14. 14
    Senses relating to directing one's attention.
  15. 15
    Senses relating to directing one's attention.
  16. 16
    Senses relating to waiting for something.
  17. 17
    Senses relating to waiting for something.
  18. 18
    Senses relating to waiting for something.
  19. 19
    Senses relating to waiting for something.
  20. 20
    Senses relating to waiting for something.
  21. 21
    Senses relating to waiting for something.
  22. 22
    To intend (something).

Etymology

PIE word *h₂éd 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”). Doublet of attempt and tend.

This word in other languages

acudir(Español)assister(Français)besuchen(Deutsch)assistir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atend,atetnd,attedn,attendd,attennd,attned,tatend

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of attend - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

atend1atetnd2attedn2attendd1attennd1attned2tatend2
Edit distance from "attend"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "attend"?
"attend" is spelled A-T-T-E-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈtɛnd/.
What does "attend" mean?
As a verb, "attend" means: Senses relating to caring for or waiting on someone, or accompanying or being present.
What words are commonly confused with "attend"?
"attend" is commonly confused with "attest", "attuned", "attended". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "attend"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "attend" is /əˈtɛnd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "attend"?
PIE word *h₂éd 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... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “attend”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-T-T-E-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈtɛnd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “attest” - see the side-by-side comparison. attend vs attest
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list