interesting

/ˈɪntɹəstɪŋ/

//ˈɪntɹəstɪŋ// adj

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

The verdict

“interesting” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,083 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,083
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of concern; affecting, important.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

interesting vs interestingly
85% similar

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

Key facts for interesting
PropertyValue
Headwordinteresting
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɪntɹəstɪŋ/
Letters11
Frequency rank#1,083
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “interesting” 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). interesting 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 interesting is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɪntɹəstɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,083 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for interesting, with forms such as "inetresting", "innteresting", and "inteersting". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "interestingly", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From interest + -ing. The correct English form is interesting, spelled I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of concern; affecting, important.
  2. 2
    Arousing or holding the attention or interest of someone.
  3. 3
    Pregnant. (used with situation and condition)

Etymology

From interest + -ing.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inetresting,innteresting,inteersting,interesitng,interessting,interestign,interestingg,interestinng,interestnig,interestting,interetsing,interresting,interseting,intreesting,intteresting,itneresting,niteresting

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inetresting2innteresting1inteersting2interesitng2interessting1interestign2interestingg1interestinng1
Edit distance from "interesting"

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 "interesting"?
"interesting" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪntɹəstɪŋ/.
What does "interesting" mean?
As an adjective, "interesting" means: Of concern; affecting, important.
What words are commonly confused with "interesting"?
"interesting" is commonly confused with "interestingly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "interesting"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "interesting" is /ˈɪntɹəstɪŋ/. 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 "interesting"?
From interest + -ing. 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 “interesting”

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-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɪntɹəstɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “interestingly” - see the side-by-side comparison. interesting vs interestingly
  • 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