# tense

> English word · Noun · IPA /tɛns/ · frequency rank #7,752

## Definitions
1. The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists.
2. An inflected form of a verb that indicates tense.
3. A grammatical aspect.
4. A verb form or construction indicating a combination of tense, aspect, and mood.

## Etymology
From Middle English tens, from Old French tens (modern French temps), from Latin tempus. Doublet of tempo and tempus.

## Easily confused with
- **tse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tse)
- **test** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-test)
- **tone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tone)
- **tons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tons)
- **tune** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tune)
- **tent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tent)
- **Tess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tess)
- **Tyne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tyne)
- **tine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tine)
- **these** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-these)
- **those** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-those)
- **tenth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tenth)
- **tents** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tents)
- **tonne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tonne)
- **Tessa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tessa)
- **tinge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tinge)
- **terse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-terse)
- **tenure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tenure)
- **thence** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-thence)
- **tensor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tense-vs-tensor)

## Common misspellings (6)
`etnse`, `tennse`, `tensse`, `tesne`, `tnese`, `ttense`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tense