# strengthen

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/ · frequency rank #6,743

## Definitions
1. To make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strength of; to fortify.
2. To empower; to give moral strength to; to encourage; to enhearten.
3. To augment; to improve; to intensify.
4. To reinforce, to add to, to support (someone or something)
5. To substantiate; to corroborate (a belief, argument, etc.)
6. To grow strong or stronger.

## Etymology
From rare Middle English strengthenen (14th c.), from earlier strengthen (12th c.), where -en is the infinitive ending. Probably the original form was reinterpreted as strength + -en around the time when the infinitive ending was being apocopated in late Middle English.

## Easily confused with
- **strengths** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/strengthen-vs-strengths)
- **strengthened** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/strengthen-vs-strengthened)
- **strength** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/strength-vs-strengthen)

## Common misspellings (17)
`srtengthen`, `sstrengthen`, `sterngthen`, `stregnthen`, `strenggthen`, `strenghten`, `strengtehn`, `strengthenn`, `strengthhen`, `strengthne`, `strengtthen`, `strenngthen`, `strentghen`, `strnegthen`, `strrengthen`, `sttrengthen`, `tsrengthen`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/strengthen