intercourse

/ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/

//ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“intercourse” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,997. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,997
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Communication, conversation.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intercourse · intercourse · English

intercourse · rank #12,997 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,997
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH indoors

Nearest frequency peer: indoors (-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 “intercourse”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intercourse” 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
Key facts for intercourse
PropertyValue
Headwordintercourse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/
Letters11
Frequency rank#12,997
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intercourse”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).intercourselands 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 “indoors” (#12,996), “interestingly” (#12,998), “Isaiah” (#12,999). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intercourse” is #12,997. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around intercourse (IPA /ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,997 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for intercourse, with forms such as "inetrcourse", "inntercourse", and "intecrourse". 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 no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French entrecours, from Late Latin intercursus. The correct English form is intercourse, spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-O-U-R-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Communication, conversation.
  2. 2
    Dealings between countries.
  3. 3
    Dealings with people, including commerce and trade.
  4. 4
    Sexual intercourse, especially that involving humans and especially penile-vaginal interconnection.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Yet do I vnderſtand your darkeſt language, / Your treads ath'toe, your ſecret iogges and vvringes: / Your entercourſe of glaunces: euery tittle / Of your cloſe Amorous rites I vnderſtand, / They ſpeake as loud to mee, as if you ſaid, / My deareſt Dariotto, I am thine.
  2. this sweet intercourse of looks and smiles

Etymology

From Old French entrecours, from Late Latin intercursus.

This word in other languages

conversación(Español)relation sexuelle(Français)Beziehungen(Deutsch)comunicação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetrcourse
  • inntercourse
  • intecrourse
  • interccourse
  • intercoruse
  • intercoures
  • intercourrse
  • intercoursse
  • intercousre
  • intercuorse
  • interocurse
  • interrcourse
  • intrecourse
  • inttercourse
  • itnercourse
  • nitercourse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of intercourse - 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.

inetrcourse2inntercourse1intecrourse2interccourse1intercoruse2intercoures2intercourrse1intercoursse1
Edit distance from "intercourse"

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 "intercourse"?
"intercourse" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-O-U-R-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/.
What does "intercourse" mean?
As a noun, "intercourse" means: Communication, conversation.
What are common misspellings of "intercourse"?
Common misspellings include "inetrcourse", "inntercourse", "intecrourse", "interccourse", "intercoruse". The correct spelling is "intercourse".
How do you pronounce "intercourse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intercourse" is /ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/. 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 "intercourse"?
From Old French entrecours, from Late Latin intercursus. 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 "intercourse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

equilibrium#12,967degradation#12,955segregation#13,057ventilation#13,075

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

disappearing16 variantsPortsmouth16 variantsrespecting16 variantsaccumulation16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list