interpolation

/ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən/

//ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“interpolation” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,941. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,941
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
20
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An abrupt change in elements, with continuation of the first idea.

Corpus desk

Index EN-interpolation · interpolation · English

interpolation · rank #34,941 · 20 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #34,941
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH interceptor

Nearest frequency peer: interceptor (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “interpolation”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “interpolation” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

interpolation vs interrogation
85% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

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 seat of misspelling magnet “interpolation”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).interpolationlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “interceptor” (#34,940), “ischemia” (#34,942), “inset” (#34,939). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “interpolation” is #34,941. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around interpolation (IPA /ɪnˌtɜː.pəˈleɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,941 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In Perl, variable interpolation happens in double-quoted strings and patterns, and list interpolation occurs when constructing the list of values to pass to a list operator or other such construct that takes a LIST.
  2. Today a widely established convention encloses all editorial interpolations in square brackets [like so] for clarity.

Etymology

From French interpolation, from Latin interpolatio. Morphologically interpolate + -ion.

Synonyms

transclusion

This word in other languages

interpolación(Español)Interpolation(Deutsch)

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.

inetrpolation2innterpolation1inteprolation2interoplation2interploation2interpoaltion2interpolaiton2interpolasion1
Edit distance from "interpolation"

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"?
"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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "interpolation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

impressionist#34,933metallurgical#34,984revolutionize#35,046biodegradable#35,200

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

impressionable20 variantsprobabilistic20 variantsfortification20 variantsintergalactic20 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list