intercalate
/ɪnˈtɝ.kəˌleɪt/verb, noun
intercalate is spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-A-L-A-T-E: 11 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 55 million words in written English, the 231,291st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, intercalate means “To insert an extra leap day into a calendar in order to maintain synchrony with natural phenomena” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in intercalate?
| Letters | 11: I-N-T-E-R-C-A-L-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 55 million words; the 231,291st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is intercalate?
Intercalate appears about once in every 55 million words in written English, the 231,291st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce intercalate?
- UK /ɪnˈtɜː.kəl.eɪt/
- UK /ˌɪn.tə.kəˈleɪt/
- US /ɪnˈtɝ.kəˌleɪt/
Intercalate has 4 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What rhymes with intercalate?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as intercalate from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹkəleɪt/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of intercalate
- intercalates present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- intercalating participle, present
- intercalated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does intercalate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To insert an extra leap day into a calendar in order to maintain synchrony with natural phenomena.
- 2
To insert an extra month into a calendar for the same purpose, such as for the Hebrew calendar.
- 3
To insert a substance between two or more molecules, bases, cells, or tissues.
- 4
To insert anything somewhere (especially between other things), such as an affix into a word. (Compare interpolate.)
noun
- 1
An atom or molecule, or a substance, that enters between the layers of the crystal lattice of another substance, especially that of graphite.
- 2
A compound formed by foreign atoms or molecules entering between the layers of a crystal lattice, especially that of graphite.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Intercalate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense insert an extra day into a calendar:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | intercaler |
| Spanish | intercalar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does intercalate come from?
The verb is first attested in 1614, the noun in 1964; borrowed from Latin intercalātus, perfect passive participle of intercalō (“to proclaim that a day, an event, etc. has been intercalated; to insert”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix)), from inter- (“between, among”) + calō (“to call; to proclaim”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).