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interpolation

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

13 characters

Language

English

word origin

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "interpolation", 13-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "interpolation" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "interpolation" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

interpolation is aEnglishnoun. It means: An abrupt change in elements, with continuation of the first idea. Pronounced /ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən/. Often confused with interrogation.

Key facts for interpolation
PropertyValue
Headwordinterpolation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən/
Letters13
Frequency rank#34,941
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of interpolation in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for interpolation is 13 letters long, classified as anoun, 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 Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 20 documented wrong-spelling variants for interpolation, with forms such as "inetrpolation", "innterpolation", and "inteprolation". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "interrogation", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French interpolation, from Latin interpolatio. Morphologically interpolate + -ion. Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is interpolation, spelled I-N-T-E-R-P-O-L-A-T-I-O-N, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    An abrupt change in elements, with continuation of the first idea.
  2. 2
    The process of estimating the value of a function at a point from its values at nearby points.
  3. 3
    The process of interpolating: including and processing externally-fetched data in a document or program.
  4. 4
    That which is introduced or inserted; in contexts of content analysis of centuries-old texts, especially something foreign or spurious.
  5. 5
    The 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

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for interpolation

Misspelling Variants of "interpolation"

inetrpolation13innterpolation14inteprolation13interoplation13interploation13interpoaltion13interpolaiton13interpolasion13
Misspelling Variants of "interpolation"

Frequency rank: #34,941 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "interpolation"?
"interpolation" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-P-O-L-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən/.
What does "interpolation" mean?
As a noun, "interpolation" means: An abrupt change in elements, with continuation of the first idea.
What words are commonly confused with "interpolation"?
"interpolation" is commonly confused with "interrogation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "interpolation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "interpolation" is /ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən/. 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 "interpolation"?
From French interpolation, from Latin interpolatio. Morphologically interpolate + -ion. 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter I in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.