intercourse
/ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/
"intercourse" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“intercourse” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,997 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #12,997
- frequency rank, English
- 11
- letters
- 16
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Communication, conversation.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | intercourse |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/ |
| Letters | 11 |
| Frequency rank | #12,997 |
| Misspellings tracked | 16 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “intercourse” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for intercourse is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,997 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1Communication, conversation.
- 2Dealings between countries.
- 3Dealings with people, including commerce and trade.
- 4Sexual intercourse, especially that involving humans and especially penile-vaginal interconnection.
Etymology
From Old French entrecours, from Late Latin intercursus.
This word in other languages
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.
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"?
What does "intercourse" mean?
What are common misspellings of "intercourse"?
How do you pronounce "intercourse"?
What is the origin of the word "intercourse"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “intercourse”
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-U-R-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɪn.tɚˌkɔɹs/ (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.