interlocutory

/ˌɪntə(ɹ)ləˈkjuːtəɹi/

//ˌɪntə(ɹ)ləˈkjuːtəɹi// adj

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

"interlocutory" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“interlocutory” is uncommon English (frequency #97,147 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#97,147
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of or pertaining to dialogue or conversation.

Corpus desk

Index EN-interlocutory · interlocutory · English

interlocutory · rank #97,147 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #97,147
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH interbreed

Nearest frequency peer: interbreed (-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 “interlocutory”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for interlocutory
PropertyValue
Headwordinterlocutory
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌɪntə(ɹ)ləˈkjuːtəɹi/
Letters13
Frequency rank#97,147
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “interlocutory” 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).interlocutoryfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “interbreed” (#97,146), “intranasal” (#97,148), “insufferably” (#97,145). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “interlocutory” is #97,147. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

interlocutory is uncommon English at frequency #97,147 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ləˈkjuːtəɹi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for interlocutory, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is interlocutory, spelled I-N-T-E-R-L-O-C-U-T-O-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to dialogue or conversation.
  2. 2
    Interjected into something spoken.
  3. 3
    Expressed during a legal action that awaits final decision.
  4. 4
    Of or pertaining to legal action that is temporary or provisional.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [A]s he passed through the crowded anterooms . . . never did Leicester return the general greeting with such ready and condescending courtesy. . . . For all the favourite Earl had a bow and smile at least, and often a kind word. . . . A few of Leicester's interlocutory sentences ran as follows:— "Poynings, good morrow; and how does your wife and fair daug…
  2. The 13-week stint Hall did on Fox Broadcasting's "The Late Show" last fall proved the impact of his interlocutory style.

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 "interlocutory"?
"interlocutory" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-L-O-C-U-T-O-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ləˈkjuːtəɹi/.
What does "interlocutory" mean?
As an adjective, "interlocutory" means: Of or pertaining to dialogue or conversation.
How do you pronounce "interlocutory"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "interlocutory" is /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ləˈkjuːtəɹi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "interlocutory" come from?
"interlocutory" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 "interlocutory", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hyperspectral#97,130hydromorphone#97,128housebuilding#97,119heterotrophic#97,107

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list