# tempt

> English word · Verb · IPA /tɛmpt/ · frequency rank #21,957

## Definitions
1. To provoke someone to do wrong, especially by promising a reward; to entice.
2. To attract; to allure.
3. To provoke something; to court.

## Etymology
From Middle English tempten, from Old French tempter (French: tenter), from Latin temptare, from tentare (“to handle, touch, try, test, tempt”), frequentative of tendere (“to stretch”). Displaced native English costning (“temptation”).

## Easily confused with
- **tet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempt-vs-tet)
- **test** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempt-vs-test)
- **text** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempt-vs-text)
- **tent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempt-vs-tent)
- **tenet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempt-vs-tenet)
- **tempted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempt-vs-tempted)
- **temp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/temp-vs-tempt)
- **Tampa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tampa-vs-tempt)
- **tempo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempo-vs-tempt)
- **Tempe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempe-vs-tempt)
- **temple** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/temple-vs-tempt)
- **temper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/temper-vs-tempt)
- **teapot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/teapot-vs-tempt)
- **tempest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tempest-vs-tempt)

## Common misspellings (8)
`etmpt`, `temmpt`, `temppt`, `temptt`, `temtp`, `tepmt`, `tmept`, `ttempt`

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