intercept

/ɪntəˈsɛpt/

//ɪntəˈsɛpt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“intercept” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,542. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,542
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To stop, deflect or divert (something in progress or motion).

Corpus desk

Index EN-intercept · intercept · English

intercept · rank #13,542 · 14 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,542
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH intuitive

Nearest frequency peer: intuitive (+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 “intercept”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intercept” 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).

intercept vs interest
78% similar
intercept vs internet
78% similar
intercept vs interrupt
78% similar

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

Key facts for intercept
PropertyValue
Headwordintercept
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪntəˈsɛpt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#13,542
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intercept”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).interceptlands 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 “intuitive” (#13,543), “inexpensive” (#13,540), “invent” (#13,544). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intercept” is #13,542. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around intercept (IPA /ɪntəˈsɛpt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #13,542 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for intercept, with forms such as "inetrcept", "inntercept", and "intecrept". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "interest", "internet", "interrupt", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin interceptum, past participle of intercipiō. The correct English form is intercept, spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-E-P-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To stop, deflect or divert (something in progress or motion).
  2. 2
    To gain possession of (the ball) in a ball game.
  3. 3
    To gain possession of (the ball) in a ball game.
  4. 4
    To take or comprehend between.
  5. 5
    To perform an aeronautical action in which a fighter approaches a suspicious aircraft to escort it away from a prohibited area, or approaches an enemy aircraft to shoot it down.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The police intercepted the package of stolen goods while it was in transit.
  2. [T]he emotion grew ſo violent that it almost intercepted my reſpiration.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin interceptum, past participle of intercipiō.

This word in other languages

interceptar(Español)intercepter(Français)abfangen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetrcept
  • inntercept
  • intecrept
  • interccept
  • interceppt
  • interceptt
  • intercetp
  • intercpet
  • interecpt
  • interrcept
  • intrecept
  • inttercept
  • itnercept
  • nitercept

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of intercept - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

inetrcept2inntercept1intecrept2interccept1interceppt1interceptt1intercetp2intercpet2
Edit distance from "intercept"

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 "intercept"?
"intercept" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-E-P-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪntəˈsɛpt/.
What does "intercept" mean?
As a verb, "intercept" means: To stop, deflect or divert (something in progress or motion).
What words are commonly confused with "intercept"?
"intercept" is commonly confused with "interest", "internet", "interrupt". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intercept"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intercept" is /ɪntəˈsɛpt/. 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 "intercept"?
Borrowed from Latin interceptum, past participle of intercipiō. 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 "intercept", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

intuitive#13,543immensely#13,535organizer#13,574parameter#13,580

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

indicative14 variantspathology14 variantsdistressed14 variantsdisgusted14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list