interceptor

noun

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

"interceptor" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“interceptor” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,940. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,940
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Anyone or anything that intercepts something else.

Corpus desk

Index EN-interceptor · interceptor · English

interceptor · rank #34,940 · 17 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,940
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inset

Nearest frequency peer: inset (-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 “interceptor”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “interceptor” 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).

interceptor vs intercept
82% similar
interceptor vs interception
83% similar

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

Key facts for interceptor
PropertyValue
Headwordinterceptor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters11
Frequency rank#34,940
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “interceptor”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).interceptorlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “inset” (#34,939), “interpolation” (#34,941), “inquisitor” (#34,938). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “interceptor” is #34,940. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around interceptor, anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,940 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for interceptor, with forms such as "inetrceptor", "innterceptor", and "intecreptor". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "intercept", "interception", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From intercept + -or. The correct English form is interceptor, spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-E-P-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Anyone or anything that intercepts something else.
  2. 2
    A combat aircraft designed to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft before they can attack.
  3. 3
    A guided missile designed to intercept and destroy enemy missiles.
  4. 4
    A device to trap, remove, or separate hazardous or undesirable matter (such as oil or sand) from normal waste conveyed through it, permitting normal sewage or liquid wastes to discharge into the disposal terminal by gravity.
  5. 5
    A hook routine that intercepts normal program flow to carry out a task.
  6. 6
    A sewer that intercepts sewerage destined for an outfall (e.g. into a river) and redirects it to a treatment plant.

Etymology

From intercept + -or.

This word in other languages

intercepteur(Français)Abfangjäger(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetrceptor
  • innterceptor
  • intecreptor
  • intercceptor
  • intercepotr
  • intercepptor
  • interceptorr
  • interceptro
  • intercepttor
  • intercetpor
  • intercpetor
  • interecptor
  • interrceptor
  • intreceptor
  • intterceptor
  • itnerceptor
  • niterceptor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inetrceptor2innterceptor1intecreptor2intercceptor1intercepotr2intercepptor1interceptorr1interceptro2
Edit distance from "interceptor"

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 "interceptor"?
"interceptor" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-E-P-T-O-R.
What does "interceptor" mean?
As a noun, "interceptor" means: Anyone or anything that intercepts something else.
What words are commonly confused with "interceptor"?
"interceptor" is commonly confused with "intercept", "interception". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "interceptor"?
From intercept + -or. 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 "interceptor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Hellenistic#34,916maliciously#34,976manipulator#34,977retaliatory#35,045

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

exploitative17 variantschromosomal17 variantsspontaneity17 variantstownspeople17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list