maintain

/meɪnˈteɪn/

//meɪnˈteɪn// verb

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

"maintain" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“maintain” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,260 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,260
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To keep up; to preserve; to uphold (a state, condition etc.).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

maintain vs mountain
75% similar
maintain vs maintained
80% similar

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

Key facts for maintain
PropertyValue
Headwordmaintain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/meɪnˈteɪn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,260
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “maintain” 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). maintain lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for maintain is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /meɪnˈteɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,260 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for maintain, with forms such as "amintain", "mainatin", and "mainntain". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "mountain", "maintained", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mayntenen, from Old French maintenir, from Late Latin manūteneō, manūtenēre (“I support”), from Latin manū (“with/in/by the hand”, ablative of manus) + tenēre (“to hold”). The correct English form is maintain, spelled M-A-I-N-T-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To keep up; to preserve; to uphold (a state, condition etc.).
  2. 2
    To declare or affirm (a clause) to be true; to assert.
  3. 3
    To keep in good condition and working order.
  4. 4
    To support (someone), to back up or assist (someone) in an action.

Etymology

From Middle English mayntenen, from Old French maintenir, from Late Latin manūteneō, manūtenēre (“I support”), from Latin manū (“with/in/by the hand”, ablative of manus) + tenēre (“to hold”).

Antonyms

abandon

This word in other languages

mantener(Español)entretenir(Français)unterhalten(Deutsch)manter(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amintain,mainatin,mainntain,maintainn,maintani,maintian,mainttain,maitnain,manitain,miantain,mmaintain

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of maintain - 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.

amintain2mainatin2mainntain1maintainn1maintani2maintian2mainttain1maitnain2
Edit distance from "maintain"

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 "maintain"?
"maintain" is spelled M-A-I-N-T-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /meɪnˈteɪn/.
What does "maintain" mean?
As a verb, "maintain" means: To keep up; to preserve; to uphold (a state, condition etc.).
What words are commonly confused with "maintain"?
"maintain" is commonly confused with "mountain", "maintained". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "maintain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "maintain" is /meɪnˈteɪn/. 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 "maintain"?
From Middle English mayntenen, from Old French maintenir, from Late Latin manūteneō, manūtenēre (“I support”), from Latin manū (“with/in/by the hand”, ablative of manus) + tenēre (“to hold”). 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.

Using “maintain”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-I-N-T-A-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /meɪnˈteɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “mountain” - see the side-by-side comparison. maintain vs mountain
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list