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'Pretend' means to act as if something is true when it is not; 'intend' means to plan or mean to do something.
Side-by-side comparison
"Pretend" is to act as if something is true when it is not. "Pretend to be asleep" = act as if you are sleeping when you are not. It can be a game or a deception.
She pretended to be sick to stay home.
Stop pretending you understand if you don't.
The kids love to pretend they are superheroes.
"Intend" is to plan or mean to do something. "I intend to finish it today" = I have a real plan to finish it. It is a genuine goal, not a simulation.
I intend to finish this project by Friday.
What do you intend to do about it?
She intends to study medicine.
Common mistake
- •"I pretend to improve my English" when meaning you plan to is wrong (correct: intend).
- •"Pretend" means to fake or simulate, not to plan.
Trick to remember it
"INTend" relates to INTention, when you mean "I plan to do something," use "intend," not "pretend."
Quick rule
- •Are you faking something that is not real? "Pretend".
- •Do you have a plan or intention to do something? "Intend".
Did you know?
"Pretend" comes from the Latin praetendere, "to stretch out in front". In English it moved toward putting up a false front: pretending to be asleep, pretending to understand. "Intend" kept the sense of stretching toward a goal, so it describes plans. A quick check: if you are faking it, "pretend"; if you are planning it, "intend".
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She _____ s to save more money this year. She's already opened a savings account.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The children _____ ed to be pirates and explored the garden as if it were an island.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
'Sensible' means practical and reasonable; 'sensitive' means easily affected or hurt, in feelings or physically.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy