intermezzo

/ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ/

//ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ// noun

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

"intermezzo" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“intermezzo” is uncommon English (frequency #93,832 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#93,832
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A short piece of music or act in the interval of the main spectacle; a theatrical interlude.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intermezzo · intermezzo · English

intermezzo · rank #93,832 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #93,832
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH infringer

Nearest frequency peer: infringer (-2 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 “intermezzo”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for intermezzo
PropertyValue
Headwordintermezzo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ/
Letters10
Frequency rank#93,832
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “intermezzo” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).intermezzofalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “infringer” (#93,830), “interprovincial” (#93,834), “infectivity” (#93,829). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intermezzo” is #93,832. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

intermezzo is uncommon English at frequency #93,832 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

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

  1. 1
    A short piece of music or act in the interval of the main spectacle; a theatrical interlude.
  2. 2
    A 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.
  3. 3
    A tactical move which interrupts the execution of the current plan.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. She had ample time, too, to change for the next scene, which started with a longish intermezzo staged by a ballet company whose services Scotty had engaged [...].

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian intermezzo. Doublet of intermede and intermedium

This word in other languages

intermède(Français)

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 "intermezzo"?
"intermezzo" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-M-E-Z-Z-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ/.
What does "intermezzo" mean?
As a noun, "intermezzo" means: A short piece of music or act in the interval of the main spectacle; a theatrical interlude.
How do you pronounce "intermezzo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intermezzo" is /ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ/. 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 "intermezzo"?
Borrowed from Italian intermezzo. Doublet of intermede and intermedium 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 "intermezzo", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

immediatly#93,823Greengrass#93,757listenable#93,927locational#93,930

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list