tend
/ˈtɛnd/verb
tend is spelled T-E-N-D: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 37 times per million words in written English, the 2,618th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, tend means “To make a tender of; to offer or tender” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in tend?
| Letters | 4: T-E-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 37 times per million words; the 2,618th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is tend?
Tend appears 37 times per million words in written English, the 2,618th 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 tend?
- /ˈtɛnd/
- /ˈtɪnd/
Tend has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-tend.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-tend.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with tend?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as tend.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: dent.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of tend
- tends present, singular, he/she/it
- tending participle, present
- tended participle, past
- teend
- tende
- tind
- tine
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tend mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To make a tender of; to offer or tender.
- 2
To be likely, or probable to do something, or to have a certain habit or leaning.
They tend to go out on Saturdays.
- 3
To contribute to or toward some outcome.
- 4
To look after (e.g. an ill person.)
We need to tend to the garden, which has become a mess.
- 5
To accompany as an assistant or protector; to care for the wants of; to look after; to watch; to guard.
Shepherds tend their flocks.
- 6
To wait (upon), as attendants or servants; to serve; to attend.
- 7
obsoleteTo await; to expect.
- 8
obsoleteTo be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to.
- 9
To manage (an anchored vessel) when the tide turns, to prevent it from entangling the cable when swinging.
- 10
To kindle; ignite; set on fire; light; inflame; burn.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Tend in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | traiter de , avoir tendance à |
| Spanish | ofrecer , tender, propender, estilar , cuidar de, ver por |
| German | tendieren zu , sorgen für |
| Portuguese | tender , cuidar de |
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 tend come from?
From Middle English tenden, from Middle French tendre, from Old French tendre (“to stretch, stretch out, hold forth, offer, tender”), from Latin tendere (“to stretch, stretch out, extend, spread out”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).