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interpreter

in·ter·pret·er/ɪnˈtɝ.pɹɪ.tɚ/noun

interpreter is spelled I-N-T-E-R-P-R-E-T-E-R: 11 letters and 4 syllables (in·ter·pret·er). It appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, interpreter means “A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another, particularly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of interpreter is interpreters.

How many letters and syllables are in interpreter?

Letters11: I-N-T-E-R-P-R-E-T-E-R
Syllables4: in·ter·pret·er
In writing3.5 times per million words; the 14,106th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Same letters

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is interpreter?

Interpreter appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce interpreter?

  • UK /ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪ.tə/
  • US /ɪnˈtɝ.pɹɪ.tɚ/
  • US [ɪnˈtɝ.pɹɪ.ɾɚ]

Interpreter has 4 syllables, split in·ter·pret·er in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-interpreter.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with interpreter?

No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as interpreter (/ɜɹpɹɪtəɹ/).

Spelled with the same letters in another order: reinterpret.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of interpreter

  • interpreters plural
  • interpretour
  • enterpretour
  • enterpretor

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does interpreter mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A person or thing that interprets the meaning of something for another, particularly

    ... an interpreter of dreams ...

  2. 2

    A person or thing that translates speech or signing, as opposed to texts.

    A Japanese man who is tried before a German court is assisted by an interpreter in making oral statements.

  3. 3

    obsoleteSynonym of translator, one who translates various forms of texts.

  4. 4

    obsoleteSynonym of commentator, one who explains laws or scripture.

  5. 5

    obsoleteSynonym of emissary, particularly in reference to Hermes or angels as messengers between humans and the divine.

  6. 6

    Synonym of guide, one who explains a thing, person, or group of people.

    At the historic site, there are a number of interpreters who demonstrate ancient crafts.

  7. 7

    A thing that, figuratively speaking, performs a similar role explaining, revealing, or clarifying.

  8. 8

    obsoleteSynonym of synonymy, the use of one term to explain another.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate interpreter?

Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of interpreter: interpr., intpr..

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Interpreter in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchinterprète (one who interprets a language – see also…), interpréteur (computer program)
GermanDolmetscher, Dolmetscherin, Dolmetsch, Dolmetschin (one who interprets a language – see also…), Interpreter (computer program)
Portugueseintérprete (one who interprets a language – see also…), interpretador (computer program)
Spanishintérprete, trujamán, truchimán, drogmán, dragomán, trujimán (one who interprets a language – see also…)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does interpreter come from?

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.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after interpreter