tendency

/ˈtɛn.dən.si/

//ˈtɛn.dən.si// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"tendency" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tendency” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,621. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,621
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A likelihood of behaving in a particular way or going in a particular direction; a tending toward.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tendency · tendency · English

tendency · rank #7,621 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,621
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tab

Nearest frequency peer: tab (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “tendency”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “tendency” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tendency vs tenderly
75% similar
tendency vs tenancy
75% similar

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

Key facts for tendency
PropertyValue
Headwordtendency
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛn.dən.si/
Letters8
Frequency rank#7,621
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tendency”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).tendencylands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “tab” (#7,620), “that'll” (#7,622), “supposedly” (#7,619). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tendency” is #7,621. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around tendency (IPA /ˈtɛn.dən.si/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,621 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for tendency, with forms such as "etndency", "tednency", and "tenddency". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "tenderly", "tenancy", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin tendentia, from tendens, present participle of tendō. The correct English form is tendency, spelled T-E-N-D-E-N-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A likelihood of behaving in a particular way or going in a particular direction; a tending toward.
  2. 2
    An organised unit or faction within a larger political organisation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how tendency appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Denim has a tendency to fade.
  2. I have a tendency to get bored after the first half an hour of a movie.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin tendentia, from tendens, present participle of tendō.

Synonyms

inclinationdispositionpropensitypenchanttrend

This word in other languages

tendencia(Español)tendance(Français)Tendenz(Deutsch)tendência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etndency
  • tednency
  • tenddency
  • tendecny
  • tendenccy
  • tendencyy
  • tendenncy
  • tendenyc
  • tendnecy
  • tenedncy
  • tenndency
  • tnedency
  • ttendency

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etndency2tednency2tenddency1tendecny2tendenccy1tendencyy1tendenncy1tendenyc2
Edit distance from "tendency"

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 "tendency"?
"tendency" is spelled T-E-N-D-E-N-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛn.dən.si/.
What does "tendency" mean?
As a noun, "tendency" means: A likelihood of behaving in a particular way or going in a particular direction; a tending toward.
What words are commonly confused with "tendency"?
"tendency" is commonly confused with "tenderly", "tenancy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tendency"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tendency" is /ˈtɛn.dən.si/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "tendency"?
From Medieval Latin tendentia, from tendens, present participle of tendō. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "tendency", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

socially#7,610welcomed#7,636renowned#7,603pursuing#7,598

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

underwear13 variantsadvocates13 variantsinfantry13 variantsfraction13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list