intercourse
/ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/noun, verb
intercourse is spelled I-N-T-E-R-C-O-U-R-S-E: 11 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 4.0 times per million words in written English, the 12,940th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, intercourse means “Communication, conversation” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of intercourse is intercourses.
How many letters and syllables are in intercourse?
| Letters | 11: I-N-T-E-R-C-O-U-R-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.0 times per million words; the 12,940th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is intercourse?
Intercourse appears 4.0 times per million words in written English, the 12,940th 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 intercourse?
- US /ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/
- US /ˈɪn.tɚˌkoɹs/
- UK /ˈɪn.təˌkɔːs/
Intercourse 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: En-us-intercourse.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of intercourse
- intercourses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- intercoursing participle, present
- intercoursed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does intercourse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Communication, conversation.
- 2
Dealings between countries.
- 3
Dealings with people, including commerce and trade.
- 4
Sexual intercourse, especially that involving humans and especially penile-vaginal interconnection.
verb
- 1
nonstandardTo have sexual intercourse.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Intercourse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Beziehungen, Umgang, Verkehr , Geschlechtsverkehr |
| Portuguese | comunicação , sexo |
| Spanish | conversación , coito, acto sexual, relación sexual |
| French | relation sexuelle |
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 intercourse come from?
From Old French entrecours, from Late Latin intercursus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).