intent

/ɪnˈtɛnt/

//ɪnˈtɛnt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“intent” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,457. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,457
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Something that is intended.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intent · intent · English

intent · rank #4,457 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,457
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH hoped

Nearest frequency peer: hoped (-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 “intent”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intent” 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).

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

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

Key facts for intent
PropertyValue
Headwordintent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈtɛnt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,457
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intent”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “hoped” (#4,456), “involve” (#4,458), “judgment” (#4,459). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intent” is #4,457. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around intent (IPA /ɪnˈtɛnt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,457 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for intent, with forms such as "inetnt", "inntent", and "intennt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "invest", "intern", "invent", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Existing since Middle English entente, from Old French entent or entente, ultimately from Latin intentus. Modified later in spelling to align more closely with the Latin word. Compare intention. The correct English form is intent, spelled I-N-T-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something that is intended.
  2. 2
    The state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence.

Etymology

Existing since Middle English entente, from Old French entent or entente, ultimately from Latin intentus. Modified later in spelling to align more closely with the Latin word. Compare intention.

This word in other languages

intención(Español)intention(Français)Absicht(Deutsch)intenção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetnt
  • inntent
  • intennt
  • intentt
  • intetn
  • intnet
  • inttent
  • itnent
  • nitent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inetnt2inntent1intennt1intentt1intetn2intnet2inttent1itnent2
Edit distance from "intent"

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 "intent"?
"intent" is spelled I-N-T-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɛnt/.
What does "intent" mean?
As a noun, "intent" means: Something that is intended.
What words are commonly confused with "intent"?
"intent" is commonly confused with "invest", "intern", "invent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intent" is /ɪnˈtɛnt/. 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 "intent"?
Existing since Middle English entente, from Old French entent or entente, ultimately from Latin intentus. Modified later in spelling to align more closely with the Latin word. Compare intention. 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 "intent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Greece#4,453knight#4,461grades#4,452galaxy#4,450

Similar misspelling depth

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

Kennedy9 variantsfilter9 variantsequipped9 variantsdrives9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list