intercontinental

/ˌɪn.tə.kɒn.tɪˈnɛn.təl/

//ˌɪn.tə.kɒn.tɪˈnɛn.təl// adj

"intercontinental" is a 16-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“intercontinental” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,872 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#23,872
frequency rank, English
16
letters
25
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Taking place between two or more continents.

Key facts for intercontinental
PropertyValue
Headwordintercontinental
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌɪn.tə.kɒn.tɪˈnɛn.təl/
Letters16
Frequency rank#23,872
Misspellings tracked25
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “intercontinental” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for intercontinental is 16 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɪn.tə.kɒn.tɪˈnɛn.təl/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,872 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 25 likely wrong-spelling variants for intercontinental, with forms such as "inetrcontinental", "inntercontinental", and "intecrontinental". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From inter- + continental. The correct English form is intercontinental, spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-O-N-T-I-N-E-N-T-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Taking place between two or more continents.
  2. 2
    Having the ability to travel between continents.

Etymology

From inter- + continental.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inetrcontinental,inntercontinental,intecrontinental,interccontinental,intercnotinental,interconitnental,interconntinental,intercontienntal,intercontinenatl,intercontinenntal,intercontinentall,intercontinentla,intercontinenttal,intercontinetnal,intercontinnental,intercontinnetal,intercontniental,interconttinental,intercotninental,interocntinental,interrcontinental,intrecontinental,inttercontinental,itnercontinental,nitercontinental

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of intercontinental - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

inetrcontinental2inntercontinental1intecrontinental2interccontinental1intercnotinental2interconitnental2interconntinental1intercontienntal2
Edit distance from "intercontinental"

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 "intercontinental"?
"intercontinental" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-O-N-T-I-N-E-N-T-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪn.tə.kɒn.tɪˈnɛn.təl/.
What does "intercontinental" mean?
As an adjective, "intercontinental" means: Taking place between two or more continents.
What are common misspellings of "intercontinental"?
Common misspellings include "inetrcontinental", "inntercontinental", "intecrontinental", "interccontinental", "intercnotinental". The correct spelling is "intercontinental".
How do you pronounce "intercontinental"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intercontinental" is /ˌɪn.tə.kɒn.tɪˈnɛn.təl/. 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 "intercontinental"?
From inter- + continental. 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.

Using “intercontinental”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-T-E-R-C-O-N-T-I-N-E-N-T-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɪn.tə.kɒn.tɪˈnɛn.təl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list