tenir

\tə.niʁ\

/\tə.niʁ\/ verb

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

The verdict

“tenir” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,099 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,099
frequency rank, French
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Garder fermement dans la main ou dans les mains.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tenir vs tir
60% similar
tenir vs tenu
60% similar
tenir vs Toni
40% similar

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

Key facts for tenir
PropertyValue
Headwordtenir
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\tə.niʁ\
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,099
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tenir” sits in French 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). tenir 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 French entry for tenir is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \tə.niʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,099 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 23 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for tenir, with forms such as "etnir", "teinr", and "tenirr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "tir", "tenu", "Toni", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is tenir, spelled T-E-N-I-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Garder fermement dans la main ou dans les mains.
  2. 2
    Maîtriser, avoir le contrôle (d'un animal, par exemple), d'un lieu (dans le langage militaire), de quelqu'un, etc.
  3. 3
    Occuper (un poste, un rôle...).
  4. 4
    Obtenir la réponse à une question qu'on se posait, après des difficultés.
  5. 5
    Exprimer quelque chose, oralement, par écrit, ou mentalement, de façon contrôlée.
  6. 6
    S'occuper de quelque chose (qui exige des compétences).
  7. 7
    Maintenir.
  8. 8
    Respecter (une promesse).
  9. 9
    Rester sur les termes d’un accord.
  10. 10
    Organiser (une réunion, etc.).
  11. 11
    Occuper (de la place, la place nécessaire pour quelque chose).
  12. 12
    (Tenir à (premier sens)) Être très attaché à quelque chose ou à quelqu'un.
  13. 13
    (Tenir à (deuxième sens)) Être contigu ; jouxter.
  14. 14
    (Tenir à (troisième sens)) Dépendre de (cf. tenir de).
  15. 15
    Être lié à, avoir pour cause.
  16. 16
    Pouvoir être contenu.
  17. 17
    Résister, perdurer dans l’espace ou le temps, résister aux critiques, convenir...
  18. 18
    Avoir le point ; être la plus proche du but.
  19. 19
    Faire tenir = faire parvenir.
  20. 20
    Formule n'ayant pas de sens particulier, pouvant servir quand on vient de penser à quelque chose.
  21. 21
    A un rôle d'interjection marquant la surprise. Note d’usage : Souvent doublé ou triplé.
  22. 22
    Être obligé de faire quelque chose.
  23. 23
    Se limiter à quelque chose.

Synonyms

prendrevouloir

Antonyms

céderlâcher

This word in other languages

hold(English)tener(Español)halten(Deutsch)ter(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etnir,teinr,tenirr,tennir,tenri,tneir,ttenir

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tenir - 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.

etnir2teinr2tenirr1tennir1tenri2tneir2ttenir1
Edit distance from "tenir"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tenir"?
"tenir" is spelled T-E-N-I-R. The IPA pronunciation is \tə.niʁ\.
What does "tenir" mean?
As a verb, "tenir" means: Garder fermement dans la main ou dans les mains.
What words are commonly confused with "tenir"?
"tenir" is commonly confused with "tir", "tenu", "Toni". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tenir"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tenir" is \tə.niʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tenir" come from?
"tenir" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “tenir”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is T-E-N-I-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \tə.niʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “tir” - see the side-by-side comparison. tenir vs tir
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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