interpolation
/ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən/
"interpolation" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“interpolation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,941 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #34,941
- frequency rank, English
- 13
- letters
- 20
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An abrupt change in elements, with continuation of the first idea.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | interpolation |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Frequency rank | #34,941 |
| Misspellings tracked | 20 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “interpolation” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for interpolation is 13 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,941 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for interpolation, with forms such as "inetrpolation", "innterpolation", and "inteprolation". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "interrogation", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From French interpolation, from Latin interpolatio. Morphologically interpolate + -ion. The correct English form is interpolation, spelled I-N-T-E-R-P-O-L-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1An abrupt change in elements, with continuation of the first idea.
- 2The process of estimating the value of a function at a point from its values at nearby points.
- 3The process of interpolating: including and processing externally-fetched data in a document or program.
- 4That which is introduced or inserted; in contexts of content analysis of centuries-old texts, especially something foreign or spurious.
- 5The use of a melody from a previously recorded song, but recreated rather than sampled from that recording.
Etymology
From French interpolation, from Latin interpolatio. Morphologically interpolate + -ion.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: inetrpolation,innterpolation,inteprolation,interoplation,interploation,interpoaltion,interpolaiton,interpolasion,interpolatino,interpolationn,interpolatoin,interpolattion,interpollation,interpoltaion,interppolation,interrpolation,intrepolation,intterpolation,itnerpolation,niterpolation
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of interpolation - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.
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 "interpolation"?
What does "interpolation" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "interpolation"?
How do you pronounce "interpolation"?
What is the origin of the word "interpolation"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “interpolation”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-N-T-E-R-P-O-L-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “interrogation” - see the side-by-side comparison. interpolation vs interrogation
- 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.