tendon

/ˈtɛn.dən/

//ˈtɛn.dən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tendon” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,483 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#19,483
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A tough band of flexible but inelastic fibrous collagen tissue that connects a muscle with its bony attachment and transmits the force which the muscle exerts.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tendon vs tends
67% similar
tendon vs tenor
67% similar
tendon vs Teton
50% similar

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

Key facts for tendon
PropertyValue
Headwordtendon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛn.dən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#19,483
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tendon” 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). tendon 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 tendon is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɛn.dən/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,483 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for tendon, with forms such as "etndon", "tednon", and "tenddon". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "tends", "tenor", "Teton", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French tendon or Medieval Latin tendō, from Ancient Greek τένων (ténōn, “sinew, tendon”), modified by association with the verb tendō (“to stretch”). Compare Middle English thenoun. The correct English form is tendon, spelled T-E-N-D-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tough band of flexible but inelastic fibrous collagen tissue that connects a muscle with its bony attachment and transmits the force which the muscle exerts.
  2. 2
    The hamstring of a quadruped.
  3. 3
    A wire or bar used to strengthen prestressed concrete.

Etymology

Borrowed from French tendon or Medieval Latin tendō, from Ancient Greek τένων (ténōn, “sinew, tendon”), modified by association with the verb tendō (“to stretch”). Compare Middle English thenoun.

This word in other languages

tendón(Español)tendon(Français)Sehne(Deutsch)tendão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etndon,tednon,tenddon,tendno,tendonn,tenndon,tenodn,tnedon,ttendon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tendon - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

etndon2tednon2tenddon1tendno2tendonn1tenndon1tenodn2tnedon2
Edit distance from "tendon"

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 "tendon"?
"tendon" is spelled T-E-N-D-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛn.dən/.
What does "tendon" mean?
As a noun, "tendon" means: A tough band of flexible but inelastic fibrous collagen tissue that connects a muscle with its bony attachment and transmits the force which the muscle exerts.
What words are commonly confused with "tendon"?
"tendon" is commonly confused with "tends", "tenor", "Teton". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tendon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tendon" is /ˈtɛn.dən/. 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 "tendon"?
Borrowed from French tendon or Medieval Latin tendō, from Ancient Greek τένων (ténōn, “sinew, tendon”), modified by association with the verb tendō (“to stretch”). Compare Middle English thenoun. 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.

Using “tendon”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-E-N-D-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɛn.dən/ (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. tendon 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