intermezzo
/ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ/
"intermezzo" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“intermezzo” is an uncommon English word, ranked #93,832 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #93,832
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A short piece of music or act in the interval of the main spectacle; a theatrical interlude.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | intermezzo |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #93,832 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “intermezzo” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for intermezzo is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #93,832 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for intermezzo, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. 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: Borrowed from Italian intermezzo. Doublet of intermede and intermedium The correct English form is intermezzo, spelled I-N-T-E-R-M-E-Z-Z-O.
Definition
- 1A short piece of music or act in the interval of the main spectacle; a theatrical interlude.
- 2A palate cleanser; a small snack with a bright light neutral taste; a fruit; a fresh sparkling wine; or a fruity or milky cocktail; that is served between courses in a meal.
- 3A tactical move which interrupts the execution of the current plan.
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian intermezzo. Doublet of intermede and intermedium
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
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Using “intermezzo”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-N-T-E-R-M-E-Z-Z-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.