interferometer

noun

"interferometer" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“interferometer” is uncommon English (frequency #53,020 among 17,902 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,020
frequency rank, English
17,902
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of several instruments that use the interference of waves to determine wavelengths and wave velocities, determine refractive indices, measure small distances, temperature changes, stresses, and...

Key facts for interferometer
PropertyValue
Headwordinterferometer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters14
Frequency rank#53,020
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “interferometer” 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). interferometer lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

interferometer is uncommon English at frequency #53,020 among 17,902 “I” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Any of several instruments that use the interference of waves to determine wavelengths and wave velocities, determine refractive indices, measure small distances, temperature changes, stresses, and...".

No generated misspelling entries exist for interferometer in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From interfer(e) + -o- + -meter. The correct English form is interferometer, spelled I-N-T-E-R-F-E-R-O-M-E-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several instruments that use the interference of waves to determine wavelengths and wave velocities, determine refractive indices, measure small distances, temperature changes, stresses, and many other useful measurements.

Etymology

From interfer(e) + -o- + -meter.

This word in other languages

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 "interferometer"?
"interferometer" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-F-E-R-O-M-E-T-E-R.
What does "interferometer" mean?
As a noun, "interferometer" means: Any of several instruments that use the interference of waves to determine wavelengths and wave velocities, determine refractive indices, measure small distances, temperature changes, stresses, and...
What is the origin of the word "interferometer"?
From interfer(e) + -o- + -meter. 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 “interferometer”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-T-E-R-F-E-R-O-M-E-T-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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