# interfere

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˌɪn.tɚˈfɪɚ/ · frequency rank #8,559

## Definitions
1. To get involved or involve oneself, causing disturbance.
2. Of waves, to be correlated with each other when overlapped or superposed.
3. Of a horse, to strike one foot against the opposite foot or ankle by using the legs.
4. To sexually molest, especially of a child.

## Etymology
From Old French entreferir, from entre- + ferir (“to hit, to strike”), itself from the Latin verb ferio.

## Easily confused with
- **intervene** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interfere-vs-intervene)
- **interfered** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interfere-vs-interfered)
- **interferon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interfere-vs-interferon)
- **interface** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interface-vs-interfere)
- **intercede** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/intercede-vs-interfere)

## Common misspellings (13)
`inetrfere`, `innterfere`, `intefrere`, `interefre`, `interfeer`, `interferre`, `interffere`, `interfree`, `interrfere`, `intrefere`, `intterfere`, `itnerfere`, `niterfere`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/interfere