Which to use
“intersect” is a verb and “intersex” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #22,708
- “intersect” frequency rank
- #32,045
- “intersex” frequency rank
- 54753
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | intersect | intersex |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To cut into or between; to cut or cross mutually; to divide into parts. | Of an individual, having any of a variety of inherent conditions (in a species with distinct sexes) in which one's sex characteristics differ from those of a typical male and female; for example, having sex characteristics relating to both male and female sexes. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set intersect and intersex apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
intersect and intersex form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54753, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
intersect is recorded at frequency rank #22,708, classified as averb, pronounced /ɪntəˈsɛkt/. intersex is at rank #32,045, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ˈɪn.tə.sɛks/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 54753, this pair ranks #138,708 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "intersect" and "intersex" be used interchangeably?
Remembering intersect vs intersex
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “intersect”; for an adjective, it's “intersex”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “intersect” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable