Pronunciation: [ˌɪndˈɛnt] (IPA) 
The word "indent" is spelled with the letters I-N-D-E-N-T. The first sound is an 'ih' sound, which is represented by the letter 'I'. The next sound is a soft 'd' sound, which is indicated by the letter 'D'. The following sound is an 'eh' sound, spelled with the letters 'E-N'. The last sound is a hard 't' sound, spelled with the letter 'T'. The phonetic transcription for this word is /ɪnˈdɛnt/.
Indent is a verb that primarily refers to the act of creating a space or margin by setting a line or paragraph in from the margin or by starting a line or paragraph a few spaces to the right of the margin. It involves the process of aligning text or other content in such a way that a clear indentation is created to separate it from the rest of the page.
In typography, indenting is commonly used to mark the beginning of a new paragraph. By indenting the first line of a paragraph, a typographical signal is provided to the reader that a new topic or idea is being introduced. Indenting can be achieved by pressing the "Tab" key on a computer keyboard or by manually setting the margins in a word processing software.
Indenting is not limited to text, as it can also be utilized in various programming languages to enhance readability and structure the code. When programming, an indent is generally used to denote a block of code that is contained within a specific control structure, such as an "if" statement or a loop.
Additionally, "indent" can also be used as a noun, referring to the space left empty between the margin and the beginning of an indented line or paragraph. This noun form can also be associated with the act of creating a groove, notch, or dent on a surface.
To notch; to cut into inequalities, like a row of teeth; to make a compact.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "indent" comes from the Middle English verb "endenten", which was derived from the Latin word "indentare". In Latin, "indentare" is a composition of the prefix "in" (meaning "in" or "into") and the verb "dentare" (meaning "to tooth" or "to notch"). In the context of indenting, the word refers to the practice of creating a notch or a series of notches along the edge of a document or paper as a form of identification or authentication. This technique was commonly employed in legal and administrative documents, where copies were made by cutting or tearing in such a way that the notches on each page would align and serve as proof of authenticity. Over time, the term "indent" expanded to also encompass the concept of creating a space or an indentation at the beginning of a paragraph or line of text in writing or printing.
