intentional

/ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/

//ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl// adj

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

"intentional" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“intentional” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,874. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,874
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Intended or planned; done deliberately or voluntarily.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intentional · intentional · English

intentional · rank #10,874 · 16 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,874
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH integrate

Nearest frequency peer: integrate (-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 “intentional”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intentional” 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).

intentional vs intentions
82% similar
intentional vs intestinal
82% similar
intentional vs intentioned
82% similar

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

Key facts for intentional
PropertyValue
Headwordintentional
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/
Letters11
Frequency rank#10,874
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intentional”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).intentionallands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “integrate” (#10,873), “Jeep” (#10,876), “insecure” (#10,871). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intentional” is #10,874. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around intentional (IPA /ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #10,874 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for intentional, with forms such as "inetntional", "inntentional", and "intenitonal". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "intentions", "intestinal", "intentioned", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Medieval Latin intentiōnālis. By surface analysis, intention + -al. The correct English form is intentional, spelled I-N-T-E-N-T-I-O-N-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Intended or planned; done deliberately or voluntarily.
  2. 2
    Reflecting intention; marking an expenditure of will in the shape of a matter.
  3. 3
    Done with intent.
  4. 4
    Object to intention, only appearing due to wilful perception.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It should, however, be borne in mind that even in the cohortative proper, the -ah does not add to the simple imperfect the ‘intentional’ signification expressed by that mood: the signification is already there, and the new termination merely renders it more prominent.
  2. When Kafka’s novels are analyzed with the autistic frame of reference in mind the behavior of his protagonists make more sense and will reveal that Kafka’s protagonists focus on external behavioral cues which are guided by Kafka’s education and mindset of a lawyer. As such Kafka’s protagonists are a reflection of the thinking and behavior of Kafka the aut…

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin intentiōnālis. By surface analysis, intention + -al.

Synonyms

deliberatepurposefulpurposiveadvertentconsciouswittingintentionalon purposevolitationalvolitionalvoluntarywilful

Antonyms

unintentionalaccidentalunwitting

This word in other languages

intencional(Español)volontaire(Français)absichtlich(Deutsch)intencional(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetntional
  • inntentional
  • intenitonal
  • intenntional
  • intentinoal
  • intentioanl
  • intentionall
  • intentionla
  • intentionnal
  • intentoinal
  • intenttional
  • intetnional
  • intnetional
  • inttentional
  • itnentional
  • nitentional

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of intentional - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

inetntional2inntentional1intenitonal2intenntional1intentinoal2intentioanl2intentionall1intentionla2
Edit distance from "intentional"

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 "intentional"?
"intentional" is spelled I-N-T-E-N-T-I-O-N-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/.
What does "intentional" mean?
As an adjective, "intentional" means: Intended or planned; done deliberately or voluntarily.
What words are commonly confused with "intentional"?
"intentional" is commonly confused with "intentions", "intestinal", "intentioned". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intentional"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intentional" is /ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/. 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 "intentional"?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin intentiōnālis. By surface analysis, intention + -al. 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 "intentional", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

nationality#10,893persecution#10,904philosopher#10,906contributor#10,834

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

downstairs16 variantsplantation16 variantsrealization16 variantstemptation16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list