interest

/ˈɪn.tɹɛst/

//ˈɪn.tɹɛst// noun

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

"interest" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“interest” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #695 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#695
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The price paid for obtaining, or price received for providing, money or goods in a credit transaction, calculated as a fraction of the amount or value of what was borrowed.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

interest vs internet
75% similar
interest vs interests
89% similar
interest vs intersect
78% similar

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

Key facts for interest
PropertyValue
Headwordinterest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪn.tɹɛst/
Letters8
Frequency rank#695
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “interest” 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). interest 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 interest is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɪn.tɹɛst/. Corpus data places it at rank #695 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for interest, with forms such as "inetrest", "innterest", and "inteerst". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "internet", "interests", "intersect", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English interest, from Old French interesse and interest (French intérêt), from Medieval Latin interesse, from Latin interesse. The correct English form is interest, spelled I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The price paid for obtaining, or price received for providing, money or goods in a credit transaction, calculated as a fraction of the amount or value of what was borrowed.
  2. 2
    Any excess over and above an exact equivalent
  3. 3
    A great attention and concern from someone or something; intellectual curiosity.
  4. 4
    Attention that is given to or received from someone or something.
  5. 5
    An involvement, claim, right, share, stake in or link with a financial, business, or other undertaking or endeavor.
  6. 6
    Something which, or someone whom, one is interested in.
  7. 7
    Condition or quality of exciting concern or being of importance.
  8. 8
    Injury, or compensation for injury; damages.
  9. 9
    The persons and companies interested in any particular business or measure, taken collectively.
  10. 10
    A genre of factual short films, generally more amusing than informative, especially those not covered by a more specific genre label.

Etymology

From Middle English interest, from Old French interesse and interest (French intérêt), from Medieval Latin interesse, from Latin interesse.

Synonyms

cost of moneyoker

This word in other languages

interés(Español)intérêt(Français)Zinsen(Deutsch)interesse(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inetrest,innterest,inteerst,interesst,interestt,interets,interrest,interset,intreest,intterest,itnerest,niterest

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inetrest2innterest1inteerst2interesst1interestt1interets2interrest1interset2
Edit distance from "interest"

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 "interest"?
"interest" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪn.tɹɛst/.
What does "interest" mean?
As a noun, "interest" means: The price paid for obtaining, or price received for providing, money or goods in a credit transaction, calculated as a fraction of the amount or value of what was borrowed.
What words are commonly confused with "interest"?
"interest" is commonly confused with "internet", "interests", "intersect". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "interest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "interest" is /ˈɪn.tɹɛst/. 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 "interest"?
From Middle English interest, from Old French interesse and interest (French intérêt), from Medieval Latin interesse, from Latin interesse. 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 “interest”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɪn.tɹɛst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “internet” - see the side-by-side comparison. interest vs internet
  • 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