intention

/ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/

//ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩// noun

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

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

The verdict

“intention” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,095. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,095
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A course of action that a person intends to follow.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intention · intention · English

intention · rank #4,095 · 14 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,095
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH Instagram

Nearest frequency peer: Instagram (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “intention”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “intention” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

intention vs invention
89% similar
intention vs intuition
78% similar
intention vs intentions
90% similar

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

Key facts for intention
PropertyValue
Headwordintention
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#4,095
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “intention” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around intention (IPA /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,095 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for intention, with forms such as "inetntion", "inntention", and "inteniton". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "invention", "intuition", "intentions", 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 Middle English entencioun, intention, from Old French entencion, from Latin intentiō, intentiōnem. Compare intent. Equivalent to intent + -ion. The correct English form is intention, spelled I-N-T-E-N-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A course of action that a person intends to follow.
  2. 2
    The goal or purpose.
  3. 3
    Tension; straining, stretching.
  4. 4
    A stretching or bending of the mind toward an object or a purpose (an intent); closeness of application; fixedness of attention; earnestness.
  5. 5
    The object toward which the thoughts are directed; end; aim.
  6. 6
    Any mental apprehension of an object.
  7. 7
    The process of the healing of a wound.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. My intention was to marry a wealthy widow.
  2. It’s easy to promise anything when you have no intention of fulfilling any of it.

Etymology

From Middle English entencioun, intention, from Old French entencion, from Latin intentiō, intentiōnem. Compare intent. Equivalent to intent + -ion.

Synonyms

aimambitiondrivegoalintentintentionplan

Antonyms

chance

This word in other languages

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

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetntion
  • inntention
  • inteniton
  • intenntion
  • intension
  • intentino
  • intentionn
  • intentoin
  • intenttion
  • intetnion
  • intnetion
  • inttention
  • itnention
  • nitention

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inetntion2inntention1inteniton2intenntion1intension1intentino2intentionn1intentoin2
Edit distance from "intention"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "intention"?
"intention" is spelled I-N-T-E-N-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/.
What does "intention" mean?
As a noun, "intention" means: A course of action that a person intends to follow.
What words are commonly confused with "intention"?
"intention" is commonly confused with "invention", "intuition", "intentions". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intention"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intention" is /ɪnˈtɛnʃn̩/. 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 "intention"?
From Middle English entencioun, intention, from Old French entencion, from Latin intentiō, intentiōnem. Compare intent. Equivalent to intent + -ion. 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 "intention", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Instagram#4,094infection#4,093pregnancy#4,105preparing#4,107

Similar misspelling depth

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

prominent14 variantsdifficulty14 variantsdefending14 variantscomputers14 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "intention". Here's where to go from here.

  • "intention" maps to 11 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "invention". View pair
  • 14 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #4,095 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "I" letter cohort. I–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list