intensity

/ɪnˈtɛnsɪti/

//ɪnˈtɛnsɪti// noun

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

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

The verdict

“intensity” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,697. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,697
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The quality of being intense.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intensity · intensity · English

intensity · rank #5,697 · 14 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,697
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH instruction

Nearest frequency peer: instruction (-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 “intensity”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intensity” 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).

intensity vs intensive
78% similar
intensity vs intercity
78% similar
intensity vs integrity
78% similar

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

Key facts for intensity
PropertyValue
Headwordintensity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈtɛnsɪti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#5,697
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intensity”

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).intensitylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “instruction” (#5,696), “inventory” (#5,698), “install” (#5,695). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intensity” is #5,697. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around intensity (IPA /ɪnˈtɛnsɪti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,697 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for intensity, with forms such as "inetnsity", "inntensity", and "intenisty". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "intensive", "intercity", "integrity", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From intense + -ity. Cf. also Medieval Latin intensitas. The correct English form is intensity, spelled I-N-T-E-N-S-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality of being intense.
  2. 2
    The degree of strength.
  3. 3
    Time-averaged energy flux (the ratio of average power to the area through which the power "flows"); irradiance.
  4. 4
    Can mean any of radiant intensity, luminous intensity or irradiance.
  5. 5
    Synonym of radiance.
  6. 6
    The severity of an earthquake in terms of its effects on the earth's surface, and buildings. The value depends on the distance from the epicentre, and is not to be confused with the magnitude.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The painting’s dislocated, unformed features are the very opposite of the hard, painted dolls of the other portrait, and, where they are dead and ready to topple, this unknown man’s eyes are full of intensity and life.
  2. Fagus sylvatica (European beech) and Acer saccharum (sugar maple, from North America) are very tolerant of deep shade, while Betula spp. (birches) and Populus spp. (poplars) grow best under high light intensities.

Etymology

From intense + -ity. Cf. also Medieval Latin intensitas.

This word in other languages

intensidad(Español)intensité(Français)Intensität(Deutsch)intensidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetnsity
  • inntensity
  • intenisty
  • intennsity
  • intensitty
  • intensityy
  • intensiyt
  • intenssity
  • intenstiy
  • intesnity
  • intnesity
  • inttensity
  • itnensity
  • nitensity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of intensity - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

inetnsity2inntensity1intenisty2intennsity1intensitty1intensityy1intensiyt2intenssity1
Edit distance from "intensity"

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 "intensity"?
"intensity" is spelled I-N-T-E-N-S-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɛnsɪti/.
What does "intensity" mean?
As a noun, "intensity" means: The quality of being intense.
What words are commonly confused with "intensity"?
"intensity" is commonly confused with "intensive", "intercity", "integrity". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intensity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intensity" is /ɪnˈtɛnsɪti/. 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 "intensity"?
From intense + -ity. Cf. also Medieval Latin intensitas. 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 "intensity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

inventory#5,698inflation#5,692graduated#5,685migration#5,711

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

provision14 variantsaccordance14 variantsapplicable14 variantssuspected14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list