intend

/ɪnˈtɛnd/

//ɪnˈtɛnd// verb

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

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

The verdict

“intend” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,152. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,152
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To fix the mind upon (something, or something to be accomplished); be intent upon

Corpus desk

Index EN-intend · intend · English

intend · rank #6,152 · 9 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,152
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH influential

Nearest frequency peer: influential (-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 “intend”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intend” 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).

intend vs intent
83% similar
intend vs intern
67% similar
intend vs invent
67% similar

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

Key facts for intend
PropertyValue
Headwordintend
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈtɛnd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,152
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intend”

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).intendlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “influential” (#6,151), “invisible” (#6,153), “indoor” (#6,150). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intend” is #6,152. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around intend (IPA /ɪnˈtɛnd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #6,152 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for intend, with forms such as "inetnd", "inntend", and "intedn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "intent", "intern", "invent", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English intenden, entenden (“direct (one’s) attention towards”), borrowed from Old French entendre, from Latin intendō, intendere. See also intensive. Doublet of entendre. Largely displaced native Old English myntan (“to mean, intend; to think, … The correct English form is intend, spelled I-N-T-E-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To fix the mind upon (something, or something to be accomplished); be intent upon
  2. 2
    To fix the mind on; attend to; take care of; superintend; regard.
  3. 3
    To stretch to extend; distend.
  4. 4
    To strain; make tense.
  5. 5
    To intensify; strengthen.
  6. 6
    To apply with energy.
  7. 7
    To bend or turn; direct, as one’s course or journey.
  8. 8
    To design mechanically or artistically; fashion; mold.
  9. 9
    To pretend; counterfeit; simulate.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He intends to go to university.
  2. They evidently intended some mischief.

Etymology

From Middle English intenden, entenden (“direct (one’s) attention towards”), borrowed from Old French entendre, from Latin intendō, intendere. See also intensive. Doublet of entendre. Largely displaced native Old English myntan (“to mean, intend; to think, suppose”), whence dialectal mint.

This word in other languages

pretender(Español)prévoir(Français)beabsichtigen(Deutsch)pretender(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetnd
  • inntend
  • intedn
  • intendd
  • intennd
  • intned
  • inttend
  • itnend
  • nitend

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of intend - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

inetnd2inntend1intedn2intendd1intennd1intned2inttend1itnend2
Edit distance from "intend"

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 "intend"?
"intend" is spelled I-N-T-E-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɛnd/.
What does "intend" mean?
As a verb, "intend" means: To fix the mind upon (something, or something to be accomplished); be intent upon
What words are commonly confused with "intend"?
"intend" is commonly confused with "intent", "intern", "invent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intend"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intend" is /ɪnˈtɛnd/. 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 "intend"?
From Middle English intenden, entenden (“direct (one’s) attention towards”), borrowed from Old French entendre, from Latin intendō, intendere. See also intensive. Doublet of entendre. Largely displaced native Old English myntan (“to mean, intend; ... 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 "intend", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

indoor#6,150heated#6,146lasted#6,158Marcus#6,163

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

fixing9 variantsRogers9 variantsroster9 variantsCarlos9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list