interlock
/ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈlɒk/verb, noun
interlock is spelled I-N-T-E-R-L-O-C-K: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 45,947th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, interlock means “To fit or clasp together securely” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in interlock?
| Letters | 9: I-N-T-E-R-L-O-C-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 45,947th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is interlock?
Interlock appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 45,947th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce interlock?
- /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈlɒk/
As a noun (“A safety device that prevents activation in unsafe…”): /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈlɒk/, /ˈɪntə(ɹ)ˌlɒk/.
Interlock has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-interlock.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-interlock2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of interlock
- interlocks present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- interlocking participle, present
- interlocked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does interlock mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To fit or clasp together securely.
- 2
To interlace.
noun
- 1
A safety device that prevents activation in unsafe conditions.
The demonstrator couldn't figure out why the machine wouldn't work, until he remembered that there was an interlock so it wouldn't operate with the cover open.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Interlock in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | verschränken , Verriegelung |
| Spanish | engranar, endentar, encastrar, entrelazar, entretejer , bloqueo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does interlock come from?
From inter- + lock.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).