intercede

/ɪntə(ɹ)ˈsiːd/

//ɪntə(ɹ)ˈsiːd// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"intercede" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“intercede” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,427. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,427
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To plead on someone else's behalf.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intercede · intercede · English

intercede · rank #49,427 · 13 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #49,427
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inscrutable

Nearest frequency peer: inscrutable (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “intercede”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “intercede” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

intercede vs interred
78% similar
intercede vs interfere
78% similar
intercede vs intervene
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for intercede
PropertyValue
Headwordintercede
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪntə(ɹ)ˈsiːd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#49,427
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intercede”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).intercedelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “inscrutable” (#49,426), “inoffensive” (#49,425), “internationalization” (#49,429). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intercede” is #49,427. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around intercede (IPA /ɪntə(ɹ)ˈsiːd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #49,427 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for intercede, with forms such as "inetrcede", "inntercede", and "intecrede". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "interred", "interfere", "intervene", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in c. 1570. From Middle French intercéder, from Latin intercēdō, from inter- (“between”) + cēdō (“I go”) (English cede), literally “to (act as) go-between”. The correct English form is intercede, spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-E-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To plead on someone else's behalf.
  2. 2
    To act as a mediator in a dispute; to arbitrate or mediate.
  3. 3
    To pass between; to intervene.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how intercede appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Our Lady intercedes
  2. I to the Lords will intercede, not doubting / Thir favourable ear,

Etymology

First attested in c. 1570. From Middle French intercéder, from Latin intercēdō, from inter- (“between”) + cēdō (“I go”) (English cede), literally “to (act as) go-between”.

This word in other languages

interceder(Español)bitten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetrcede
  • inntercede
  • intecrede
  • interccede
  • intercdee
  • intercedde
  • interceed
  • interecde
  • interrcede
  • intrecede
  • inttercede
  • itnercede
  • nitercede

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of intercede - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

inetrcede2inntercede1intecrede2interccede1intercdee2intercedde1interceed2interecde2
Edit distance from "intercede"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "intercede"?
"intercede" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-E-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪntə(ɹ)ˈsiːd/.
What does "intercede" mean?
As a verb, "intercede" means: To plead on someone else's behalf.
What words are commonly confused with "intercede"?
"intercede" is commonly confused with "interred", "interfere", "intervene". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intercede"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intercede" is /ɪntə(ɹ)ˈsiːd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "intercede"?
First attested in c. 1570. From Middle French intercéder, from Latin intercēdō, from inter- (“between”) + cēdō (“I go”) (English cede), literally “to (act as) go-between”. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "intercede", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

infielder#49,420kundalini#49,452homophobe#49,398halfpenny#49,376

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

hurtling13 variantslatching13 variantsMcCluskey13 variantsGippsland13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list