pretend
pre·tend/pɹəˈtɛnd/verb, adjective, noun
pretend is spelled P-R-E-T-E-N-D: 7 letters and 2 syllables (pre·tend). It appears 21 times per million words in written English, the 4,076th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, pretend means “To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in pretend?
| Letters | 7: P-R-E-T-E-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: pre·tend |
| In writing | 21 times per million words; the 4,076th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is pretend?
Pretend appears 21 times per million words in written English, the 4,076th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce pretend?
- /pɹəˈtɛnd/
- /pɹiˈtɛnd/
- /pɹɪˈtɛnd/
Pretend has 2 syllables, split pre·tend in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-pretend.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pretend
- pretends present, singular, he/she/it
- pretending participle, present
- pretended participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pretend mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
You don't have to pretend that the soup tastes fine.
- 2
To engage in make-believe.
She moved her fingers across the desk, pretending to play the piano.
- 3
To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.).
She's pretending illness to get out of the business meeting.
- 4
To lay claim (to an ability, status, advantage, etc.).
The family's exile was intended to stop them pretending to the throne.
- 5
obsoleteTo hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden.
- 6
obsoleteTo intend; to design, to plot; to attempt.
- 7
obsoleteTo hold before one; to extend.
adjective
- 1
Not really what it is represented as being; imaginary, feigned.
As children we used to go on "spying" missions around the neighbour's house, but it was all pretend.
noun
- 1
informalThe act of engaging in pretend play.
We used to dress up in our grandparents' old clothes and play pretend.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pretend in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | prétendre, feindre, faire semblant , prétendre à , pour de faux |
| German | so tun, als ob , vortäuschen |
| Portuguese | fingir |
| Spanish | asacar, aparentar, hacer la finta, dragonear , pretender , de mentirijillas |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does pretend come from?
From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere (“to put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).