How to spell tension

hear itten·sion/'tɛnʃən/nounSilent and tricky

What it means: The state of being stretched tight.

In a sentence: The rope stretched tight with tension as we pulled it.

The part people get wrong

Often misspelled as tencion or tenssion.

Same family: tense, intense, intensity, extend, extension. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Tension” comes from Latin *tensio*, from *tendere* meaning “to stretch.” It’s related to words like “tense” and “extend,” all carrying the idea of something being stretched or pulled.

Try spelling it

You will hear the word and a sentence. Type it and press Enter. Then four more words from the same level, so you know where you stand.

Words like this

extension · permission · persuasion · division · pressure · decision · admission · collision

Spelling.School is a spaced-repetition spelling practice: ten minutes a day, every word spoken aloud, every miss explained, and every word coming back just before you would forget it. Try five words without signing up.