# instead

> English word · Adverb · IPA /ɪnˈstɛd/ · frequency rank #573

## Definitions
1. In the place of something (usually mentioned earlier); as a substitute or alternative.

## Etymology
From in + stead, from Middle English ine (“in”) + stede (“stead”). Related to German statt.

## Easily confused with
- **intend** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/instead-vs-intend)

## Common misspellings (10)
`innstead`, `insetad`, `insstead`, `instaed`, `insteadd`, `insteda`, `insttead`, `intsead`, `isntead`, `nistead`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/instead