intercept
/ɪntɚˈsɛpt/verb, noun
intercept is spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-E-P-T: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 3.7 times per million words in written English, the 13,496th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, intercept means “To stop, deflect or divert (something in progress or motion)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in intercept?
| Letters | 9: I-N-T-E-R-C-E-P-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.7 times per million words; the 13,496th 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 and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 intercept?
Intercept appears 3.7 times per million words in written English, the 13,496th 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 intercept?
- UK /ɪntəˈsɛpt/
- US /ɪntɚˈsɛpt/
As a noun (“An interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call”): /ˈɪntəsɛpt/, /ˈɪntɚsɛpt/.
Intercept has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-intercept_(verb).wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-intercept_(noun).wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with intercept?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as intercept from its last stressed vowel (/ɛpt/):
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 intercept
- intercepts present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- intercepting participle, present
- intercepted participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does intercept mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To stop, deflect or divert (something in progress or motion).
The police intercepted the package of stolen goods while it was in transit.
- 2
To gain possession of (the ball) in a ball game.
- 3
Of a defensive player: to steal a pass thrown by the opposing team, gaining possession of the ball.
- 4
To take or comprehend between.
- 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.
noun
- 1
An interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call.
- 2
An interception of a missile.
- 3
The coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis.
the y intercept
- 4
A form of market research where consumers are intercepted and interviewed in a retail store or mall.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Intercept in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | intercepter |
| German | abfangen , Achsenabschnitt, Schnittpunkt |
| Portuguese | interceptar |
| Spanish | interceptar, interrumpir |
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 intercept come from?
Borrowed from Latin interceptum, past participle of intercipiō.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).