indenture

/ɪnˈdɛn.ʃɝ/

//ɪnˈdɛn.ʃɝ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“indenture” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,205. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,205
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A contract which binds a person to work for another, under specified conditions, for a specified time (often as an apprentice).

Corpus desk

Index EN-indenture · indenture · English

indenture · rank #43,205 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #43,205
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH imperium

Nearest frequency peer: imperium (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “indenture”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “indenture” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

indenture vs indentured
90% similar

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

Key facts for indenture
PropertyValue
Headwordindenture
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈdɛn.ʃɝ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#43,205
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “indenture”

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

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “imperium” (#43,204), “inimitable” (#43,207), “IEA” (#43,199). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “indenture” is #43,205. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around indenture (IPA /ɪnˈdɛn.ʃɝ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #43,205 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for indenture, with forms such as "idnenture", "inddenture", and "indennture". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "indentured", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman endenture, from Old French endenteure, from endenter (“to dent”). The name of the contract derives from the irregular dent-shaped cut (indentation) used to prove the authenticity of the two parts, similar to a chirograph. The correct English form is indenture, spelled I-N-D-E-N-T-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A contract which binds a person to work for another, under specified conditions, for a specified time (often as an apprentice).
  2. 2
    A contract relating to lending (typically for issuing a bond), a real estate transaction, or a bankruptcy that imposes additional conditions on one or both parties.
  3. 3
    A document, written as duplicates separated by indentations, specifying either of the above contracts.
  4. 4
    An indentation; a recess.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how indenture appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. And so the schoolmistress reconciled the recommendation to her conscience, and the indentures were cancelled, and the apprentice was free.
  2. Walking the street very hungry, and not knowing what to do with himself, a crimp's bill was put into his hand, offering immediate entertainment and encouragement to such as would bind themselves to serve in America. He went directly, sign'd the indentures, was put into the ship, and came over, never writing a line to acquaint his friends what was become o…

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman endenture, from Old French endenteure, from endenter (“to dent”). The name of the contract derives from the irregular dent-shaped cut (indentation) used to prove the authenticity of the two parts, similar to a chirograph.

This word in other languages

Vertrag(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • idnenture
  • inddenture
  • indennture
  • indentrue
  • indentture
  • indentuer
  • indenturre
  • indenutre
  • indetnure
  • indneture
  • inednture
  • inndenture
  • nidenture

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of indenture - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

idnenture2inddenture1indennture1indentrue2indentture1indentuer2indenturre1indenutre2
Edit distance from "indenture"

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 "indenture"?
"indenture" is spelled I-N-D-E-N-T-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈdɛn.ʃɝ/.
What does "indenture" mean?
As a noun, "indenture" means: A contract which binds a person to work for another, under specified conditions, for a specified time (often as an apprentice).
What words are commonly confused with "indenture"?
"indenture" is commonly confused with "indentured". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "indenture"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "indenture" is /ɪnˈdɛn.ʃɝ/. 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 "indenture"?
From Anglo-Norman endenture, from Old French endenteure, from endenter (“to dent”). The name of the contract derives from the irregular dent-shaped cut (indentation) used to prove the authenticity of the two parts, similar to a chirograph. 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 "indenture", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

jealously#43,214houseboat#43,194Justinian#43,219herbarium#43,188

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

harmonize13 variantslonghorn13 variantsmatchbox13 variantsexhibitor13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list