interlocutor

/ˌɪntəˈlɒkjʊtə/

//ˌɪntəˈlɒkjʊtə// noun

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

"interlocutor" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“interlocutor” is uncommon English (frequency #61,560 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#61,560
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person who takes part in dialogue or conversation: a locutive partner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-interlocutor · interlocutor · English

interlocutor · rank #61,560 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #61,560
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH interject

Nearest frequency peer: interject (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “interlocutor”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “interlocutor” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for interlocutor
PropertyValue
Headwordinterlocutor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɪntəˈlɒkjʊtə/
Letters12
Frequency rank#61,560
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “interlocutor” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).interlocutorfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “interject” (#61,559), “intermountain” (#61,561), “interferometry” (#61,558). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “interlocutor” is #61,560. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

interlocutor is uncommon English at frequency #61,560 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌɪntəˈlɒkjʊtə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

interlocutor has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin interlocūtor, from the agent noun counterpart (via the suffix -tor) of Latin interloquor (“speak between, issue an interlocutory decree”), from inter- + loquor (“speak”). The correct English form is interlocutor, spelled I-N-T-E-R-L-O-C-U-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who takes part in dialogue or conversation: a locutive partner.
  2. 2
    A man in the middle of the line in a minstrel show who questions the endmen and acts as leader.
  3. 3
    An interlocutory judgement or sentence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how interlocutor appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Explanations which continually remind one's interlocutor of one's ignorance are a great damper upon the easy flow of talk.
  2. In the run-up to his return to the White House next Monday, Mr. Trump has rattled the world, and America’s neighborhood in particular, with a list of objectives – buying Greenland, seizing the Panama Canal, making Canada the 51st state – that treat friendly nations as weak interlocutors and impediments to be subdued.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin interlocūtor, from the agent noun counterpart (via the suffix -tor) of Latin interloquor (“speak between, issue an interlocutory decree”), from inter- + loquor (“speak”).

This word in other languages

interlocutor(Español)interlocuteur(Français)Gesprächspartner(Deutsch)

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 "interlocutor"?
"interlocutor" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-L-O-C-U-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪntəˈlɒkjʊtə/.
What does "interlocutor" mean?
As a noun, "interlocutor" means: A person who takes part in dialogue or conversation: a locutive partner.
How do you pronounce "interlocutor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "interlocutor" is /ˌɪntəˈlɒkjʊtə/. 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 "interlocutor"?
Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin interlocūtor, from the agent noun counterpart (via the suffix -tor) of Latin interloquor (“speak between, issue an interlocutory decree”), from inter- + loquor (“speak”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "interlocutor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

iconoclastic#61,551hydrotherapy#61,547multilayered#61,650obliteration#61,674

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list