tensions

verb

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

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

The verdict

“tensions” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,969. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,969
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - third-person singular simple present indicative of tension

Corpus desk

Index EN-tensions · tensions · English

tensions · rank #9,969 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,969
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tenant

Nearest frequency peer: tenant (-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 “tensions”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tensions” 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).

tensions vs tension
88% similar

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

Key facts for tensions
PropertyValue
Headwordtensions
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,969
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tensions”

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).tensionslands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “tenant” (#9,968), “Thomson” (#9,970), “sweater” (#9,967). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tensions” is #9,969. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around tensions, averb. Corpus frequency is #9,969 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Dominant gloss: "third-person singular simple present indicative of tension".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for tensions, with forms such as "etnsions", "tenisons", and "tennsions". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "tension", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct English form is tensions, spelled T-E-N-S-I-O-N-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    third-person singular simple present indicative of tension

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. This turnbuckle tensions the cable so it is taut.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etnsions
  • tenisons
  • tennsions
  • tensinos
  • tensionns
  • tensionss
  • tensiosn
  • tensoins
  • tenssions
  • tesnions
  • tnesions
  • ttensions

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tensions - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

etnsions2tenisons2tennsions1tensinos2tensionns1tensionss1tensiosn2tensoins2
Edit distance from "tensions"

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 "tensions"?
"tensions" is spelled T-E-N-S-I-O-N-S.
What does "tensions" mean?
As a verb, "tensions" means: third-person singular simple present indicative of tension
What words are commonly confused with "tensions"?
"tensions" is commonly confused with "tension". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "tensions" come from?
"tensions" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 "tensions", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

tortured#9,971traction#9,972turnover#9,975Somerset#9,961

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

unwanted12 variantsabundant12 variantsparental12 variantscommanded12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list