endear

/ɪnˈdɪə(ɹ)/

//ɪnˈdɪə(ɹ)// verb

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

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

The verdict

“endear” is an uncommon English word, ranked #62,872 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#62,872
frequency rank, English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make (something) more precious or valuable.

Key facts for endear
PropertyValue
Headwordendear
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈdɪə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#62,872
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “endear” 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). endear 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 endear is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈdɪə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #62,872 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

endear has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From en- + dear. The correct English form is endear, spelled E-N-D-E-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make (something) more precious or valuable.
  2. 2
    To make (something) more expensive; to increase the cost of.
  3. 3
    To stress (something) as important; to exaggerate.
  4. 4
    To make (someone) dear or precious.

Etymology

From en- + dear.

Synonyms

bedear

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 "endear"?
"endear" is spelled E-N-D-E-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈdɪə(ɹ)/.
What does "endear" mean?
As a verb, "endear" means: To make (something) more precious or valuable.
How do you pronounce "endear"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "endear" is /ɪnˈdɪə(ɹ)/. 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 "endear"?
From en- + dear. 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 “endear”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-N-D-E-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈdɪə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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