tenderness

/ˈtɛn.dɚ.nɪs/

//ˈtɛn.dɚ.nɪs// noun

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

"tenderness" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tenderness” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,381. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,381
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Quality, state or condition of being tender.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tenderness · tenderness · English

tenderness · rank #21,381 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,381
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH taping

Nearest frequency peer: taping (-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 “tenderness”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tenderness” 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
Key facts for tenderness
PropertyValue
Headwordtenderness
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛn.dɚ.nɪs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#21,381
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tenderness”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).tendernesslands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “taping” (#21,380), “terrier” (#21,382), “tapestry” (#21,379). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tenderness” is #21,381. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around tenderness (IPA /ˈtɛn.dɚ.nɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,381 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for tenderness, with forms such as "etnderness", "tednerness", and "tendderness". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tender + -ness. The correct English form is tenderness, spelled T-E-N-D-E-R-N-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Quality, state or condition of being tender.
  2. 2
    A tendency to express warm, compassionate feelings.
  3. 3
    A concern for the feelings or welfare of others.
  4. 4
    A pain or discomfort when an affected area is touched.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He picked her up in his arms with great tenderness.
  2. When the lovers were together, their cold indifference gave way to love and tenderness.

Etymology

From tender + -ness.

This word in other languages

ternura(Español)tendresse(Français)Zärtlichkeit(Deutsch)ternura(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etnderness
  • tednerness
  • tendderness
  • tendenress
  • tenderenss
  • tendernes
  • tendernness
  • tendernses
  • tenderrness
  • tendreness
  • tenedrness
  • tennderness
  • tnederness
  • ttenderness

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etnderness2tednerness2tendderness1tendenress2tenderenss2tendernes1tendernness1tendernses2
Edit distance from "tenderness"

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 "tenderness"?
"tenderness" is spelled T-E-N-D-E-R-N-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛn.dɚ.nɪs/.
What does "tenderness" mean?
As a noun, "tenderness" means: Quality, state or condition of being tender.
What are common misspellings of "tenderness"?
Common misspellings include "etnderness", "tednerness", "tendderness", "tendenress", "tenderenss". The correct spelling is "tenderness".
How do you pronounce "tenderness"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tenderness" is /ˈtɛn.dɚ.nɪs/. 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 "tenderness"?
From tender + -ness. 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 "tenderness", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stepfather#21,370uneducated#21,397unreleased#21,402Wednesdays#21,416

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

thumbnail14 variantsWoodlands14 variantsrectangle14 variantspaternity14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list