tended

/ˈtɛndɪd/

//ˈtɛndɪd// verb

"tended" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tended” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,460 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#10,460
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - simple past and past participle of tend

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tended vs tends
67% similar
tended vs tense
67% similar
tended vs tuned
67% similar

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

Key facts for tended
PropertyValue
Headwordtended
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈtɛndɪd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#10,460
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tended” 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). tended 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 tended is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɛndɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,460 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "simple past and past participle of tend".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for tended, with forms such as "etnded", "tedned", and "tendde". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "tends", "tense", "tuned", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is tended, spelled T-E-N-D-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of tend

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etnded,tedned,tendde,tendded,tendedd,tenedd,tennded,tneded,ttended

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tended - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

etnded2tedned2tendde2tendded1tendedd1tenedd2tennded1tneded2
Edit distance from "tended"

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 "tended"?
"tended" is spelled T-E-N-D-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛndɪd/.
What does "tended" mean?
As a verb, "tended" means: simple past and past participle of tend
What words are commonly confused with "tended"?
"tended" is commonly confused with "tends", "tense", "tuned". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tended"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tended" is /ˈtɛndɪd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tended" come from?
"tended" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “tended”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-E-N-D-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɛndɪd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “tends” - see the side-by-side comparison. tended vs tends
  • 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