'Pretend' means to act as if something is true when it is not; 'intend' means to plan or mean to do something.
"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
Trick to remember it
Quick rule
Did you know?
Spanish and English took the same Latin root "praetendere" and carried it in completely opposite directions. In Spanish, "pretender" evolved toward "to aspire to something" or "to intend to achieve something", a positive sense of moving toward a goal. In English, "pretend" evolved toward "to fake, to simulate", a sense of projecting a false appearance. The English equivalent of Spanish "pretendo hacer algo" is "to aspire to," "to aim for," or "to intend to." This semantic divergence is one of the clearest examples of how false friends are born: two languages borrow the same word from Latin (or French) and, over centuries, carry it along different paths until the meanings become nearly opposite.
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
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
'Sensible' in English does not mean what 'sensible' means in Spanish.
"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