interpreter

/ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪ.tə/

//ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪ.tə// noun

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

"interpreter" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“interpreter” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,145. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,145
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another, particularly

Corpus desk

Index EN-interpreter · interpreter · English

interpreter · rank #14,145 · 17 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,145
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inscription

Nearest frequency peer: inscription (-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 “interpreter”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “interpreter” 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).

interpreter vs interpreters
92% similar
interpreter vs interpret
82% similar
interpreter vs interpreted
91% similar

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

Key facts for interpreter
PropertyValue
Headwordinterpreter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪ.tə/
Letters11
Frequency rank#14,145
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “interpreter”

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).interpreterlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “inscription” (#14,144), “intuition” (#14,146), “inmate” (#14,143). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “interpreter” is #14,145. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around interpreter (IPA /ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪ.tə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,145 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 13 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for interpreter, with forms such as "inetrpreter", "innterpreter", and "inteprreter". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "interpreters", "interpret", "interpreted", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English interpreter, interpretour, etc., from Old French interpreteur, interpreteeur, etc., from Late Latin interpretātōr, from classical Latin interpretātus (“explained, translated”) + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from interpretārī (“to ex… The correct English form is interpreter, spelled I-N-T-E-R-P-R-E-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another, particularly
  2. 2
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  3. 3
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  4. 4
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  5. 5
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  6. 6
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  7. 7
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  8. 8
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  9. 9
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  10. 10
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  11. 11
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  12. 12
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another
  13. 13
    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. ... an interpreter of dreams ...
  2. […] the Priest or Medicine-man […] early appeared on the plantation and found his function as the healer of the sick, the interpreter of the Unknown […] and the one who rudely but picturesquely expressed the longing, disappointment, and resentment of a stolen and oppressed people.

Etymology

From Middle English interpreter, interpretour, etc., from Old French interpreteur, interpreteeur, etc., from Late Latin interpretātōr, from classical Latin interpretātus (“explained, translated”) + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from interpretārī (“to explain, to translate”), from interpres (“go-between, translator”) + -ārī (“to be ~ed”), q.v. In reference to divine emissaries, a calque of Mercury's Latin epithet interpres divum (“go-between of the gods”). In reference to the rhetorical device, a calque of Latin interpretatio. Equivalent to interpret + -er. Displaced native Old English wealhstod.

Synonyms

decoderelucidatorexplainerexplicatorexpoundertranslatorLatinerlatimertruchmandragomandubashlinguisterciceronedocenttour guideterp

This word in other languages

intérprete(Español)interprète(Français)Dolmetscher(Deutsch)intérprete(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetrpreter
  • innterpreter
  • inteprreter
  • interperter
  • interppreter
  • interpreetr
  • interpreterr
  • interpretre
  • interpretter
  • interprreter
  • interprteer
  • interrpeter
  • interrpreter
  • intrepreter
  • intterpreter
  • itnerpreter
  • niterpreter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of interpreter - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

inetrpreter2innterpreter1inteprreter2interperter2interppreter1interpreetr2interpreterr1interpretre2
Edit distance from "interpreter"

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 "interpreter"?
"interpreter" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-P-R-E-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪ.tə/.
What does "interpreter" mean?
As a noun, "interpreter" means: A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another, particularly
What words are commonly confused with "interpreter"?
"interpreter" is commonly confused with "interpreters", "interpret", "interpreted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "interpreter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "interpreter" is /ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪ.tə/. 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 "interpreter"?
From Middle English interpreter, interpretour, etc., from Old French interpreteur, interpreteeur, etc., from Late Latin interpretātōr, from classical Latin interpretātus (“explained, translated”) + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from interpretā... 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 "interpreter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

inscription#14,144empowerment#14,114descriptive#14,105consolation#14,092

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

neurological17 variantsrestrictive17 variantsstimulating17 variantsdistinctly17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list