2 syllables: in, tend. Stress on tend.
in-TEND
/ˌɪˈntɛnd/
intend is pronounced in-TEND (/ˌɪˈntɛnd/). It has two syllables (in-tend), with the stress on "tend". Intend means to have a plan or purpose in mind, or to intend something is to be aiming or likely to do it. It conveys deliberate choice or design behind an action, often implying that an outcome is anticipated or planned. The word emphasizes intention as a mental or motivational state that precedes behavior.
Intend means to have a plan or purpose in mind, or to intend something is to be aiming or likely to do it. It conveys deliberate choice or design behind an action, often implying that an outcome is anticipated or planned. The word emphasizes intention as a mental or motivational state that precedes behavior.
"I intend to finish the project this week."
"She intends no harm and only wants to help."
"The policy intends to reduce traffic congestion."
Pronounce as in-ˈtend, with the stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU ɪnˈtɛnd. Start with a short lax /ɪ/ as in “pin,” move into a clear /t/ release, then a tense /ɛ/ vowel in the stressed syllable, and finish with /nd/ where the /n/ blends into the voiced /d/. Keep the /t/ lightly released in fast speech; ensure the final /d/ is voiced fully for clarity. Audio examples: consult Cambridge or Oxford dictionaries.
Common errors include: 1) slurring the /t/ so it becomes a quick, indistinct stop, making it sound like /ɪnˈɛnd/; fix by pressing the tongue to the alveolar ridge and releasing clearly. 2) Merging the /t/ and /d/ in fast speech, yielding /ɪnˈtend/ with a soft or glottal stop; practice with minimal pairs ɪnˈtɛnd vs. ɪnˈdɛnd and ensure a voiced /d/ at the end. 3) Vowel reduction in rapid utterances (ɪnˈtɛnd → ɪnˈtənd); keep the stressed /ɛ/ clear and avoid reducing it.
Across US/UK/AU, the main vowel quality is consistent in the stressed syllable, with /ɪn/ onset and /tɛnd/ final. The rhoticity doesn’t affect the word much; you’ll hear minimal rhotic variation in the vowel of the first syllable. The primary variation is in vowel length and quality: US/AU may have a slightly tenser /ɛ/; UK speakers may exhibit a more centralized /ɛ/ with subtle vowel duration differences. Overall, the rhythm remains i-NTEND, with the same final /nd/ realization.
The difficulty centers on producing a clean alveolar /t/ stop followed by a voiced /d/ in rapid speech and keeping the /ɛ/ vowel precise under stress. Learners often avoid a crisp /t/ release, or substitute a flap or glottal stop, which weakens intelligibility. The transition from /ɪn/ to /t/ to /ɛnd/ requires precise tongue movement: tip to alveolar ridge for the /t/, then quick voicing into /d/ while maintaining the closed, stressed vowel. Practicing with minimal pairs helps separate articulatory cues.
The word’s primary feature is the clear, stressed /tend/ block after the initial unstressed /ɪn/. Some speakers produce a light or almost elided /t/ in very rapid speech, but for clarity you should maintain a crisp /t/ release and then a strong /d/ to finalize the syllable, especially at the end of a phrase. Also pay attention to potential digital compression in audio media that may blur the /t/; slow practice with a clear pause after /t/ can help.
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Intend comes from Middle English intenten, from Old French intent, from Latin intendere, meaning to stretch toward, aim at, or direct the mind toward. The Latin root in- meaning toward, and tendere meaning to stretch or aim, reflects the sense of directing one’s mind or actions toward a goal. In early English, intend carried the sense of stretching or aiming one’s purpose in a directed sense, often used with legal or formal nuance. Over time, it broadened to common usage, indicating a plan, purpose, or design in everyday speech. The noun form intention and the adjective intentional share the same semantic field, with intention focusing on the aim and intentional underscoring deliberate choice. First known uses in English appear in the late medieval period, with legal and religious texts adopting variations of intend to describe purposeful actions and designs. The semantic trajectory moved from a literal “stretch toward” to a figurative “mental direction toward a goal,” mirroring broader shifts in the English lexicon toward abstract cognitive states. By the modern era, intend has become a staple verb in both formal and casual contexts. It retains a slightly formal tone compared with more casual alternatives like plan or hope, but remains widely used in everyday conversations.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "intend" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "intend"
-end sounds
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