intercalation
"intercalation" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“intercalation” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A period inserted into a calendar as in a leap year.
Corpus desk
Index EN-intercalation · intercalation · English
intercalation · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 13 letters
- VOW-6 6 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "I" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | intercalation |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “intercalation” in English
Rare enough to double-check
intercalation is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for intercalation in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin intercalō, from inter (“among”) + calō (“call out, proclaim”). The correct English form is intercalation, spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-A-L-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1A period inserted into a calendar as in a leap year.
- 2The reversible insertion of a molecule between two others.
- 3A layer introduced into a pre-existing sequence.
Recorded use
Wiktionary exampleThese source excerpts show how intercalation appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Their exact relationship to the host-rock is obscure but from their texture and observed metamorphic relationship they are thought to be intrusive dykes rather than intercalations of more basic lava.
Etymology
From Latin intercalō, from inter (“among”) + calō (“call out, proclaim”).
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.