distended

/dɪˈstɛndɪd/

//dɪˈstɛndɪd// adj

"distended" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“distended” is uncommon English (frequency #65,059 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,059
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Extended or expanded, as from internal pressure; swollen.

Corpus desk

Index EN-distended · distended · English

distended · rank #65,059 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #65,059
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dissolute

Nearest frequency peer: dissolute (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “distended”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “distended” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for distended
PropertyValue
Headworddistended
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈstɛndɪd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#65,059
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “distended” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).distendedfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “dissolute” (#65,058), “disorganization” (#65,057), “dogfish” (#65,061). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “distended” is #65,059. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

distended is uncommon English at frequency #65,059 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /dɪˈstɛndɪd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

distended doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Past participle of distend. The correct English form is distended, spelled D-I-S-T-E-N-D-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Extended or expanded, as from internal pressure; swollen.
  2. 2
    gravid.

Etymology

Past participle of distend.

This word in other languages

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 "distended"?
"distended" is spelled D-I-S-T-E-N-D-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈstɛndɪd/.
What does "distended" mean?
As an adjective, "distended" means: Extended or expanded, as from internal pressure; swollen.
How do you pronounce "distended"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "distended" is /dɪˈstɛndɪd/. 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 "distended"?
Past participle of distend. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "distended", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list