indent

/ˈɪndɛnt/

//ˈɪndɛnt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“indent” is uncommon English (frequency #56,826 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,826
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A cut or notch in the margin of anything, or a recess like a notch.

Corpus desk

Index EN-indent · indent · English

indent · rank #56,826 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #56,826
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inattentive

Nearest frequency peer: inattentive (-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 “indent”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for indent
PropertyValue
Headwordindent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪndɛnt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#56,826
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “indent” in English

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “inattentive” (#56,825), “indiscreet” (#56,827), “indium” (#56,828). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “indent” is #56,826. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

indent is uncommon English at frequency #56,826 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɪndɛnt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for indent in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Partly from Middle English indenten (“to dent in”), equivalent to in- + dent (see dent); partly from Middle English indenten, endenten, from Old French endenter (“to provide with teeth”), from en- (“in-, en-”) + dent (“tooth”), from Latin dēns. The correct English form is indent, spelled I-N-D-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A cut or notch in the margin of anything, or a recess like a notch.
  2. 2
    A stamp; an impression.
  3. 3
    A certificate, or intended certificate, issued by the government of the United States at the close of the Revolution, for the principal or interest of the public debt.
  4. 4
    A requisition or order for supplies, sent to the commissariat of an army.

Etymology

Partly from Middle English indenten (“to dent in”), equivalent to in- + dent (see dent); partly from Middle English indenten, endenten, from Old French endenter (“to provide with teeth”), from en- (“in-, en-”) + dent (“tooth”), from Latin dēns.

This word in other languages

Vertiefung(Deutsch)

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 "indent"?
"indent" is spelled I-N-D-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪndɛnt/.
What does "indent" mean?
As a noun, "indent" means: A cut or notch in the margin of anything, or a recess like a notch.
How do you pronounce "indent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "indent" is /ˈɪndɛnt/. 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 "indent"?
Partly from Middle English indenten (“to dent in”), equivalent to in- + dent (see dent); partly from Middle English indenten, endenten, from Old French endenter (“to provide with teeth”), from en- (“in-, en-”) + dent (“tooth”), from Latin dēns. 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 "indent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

indium#56,828hyphae#56,816Kikuyu#56,844kitted#56,848

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list