interrogation

/ɪnˌteɹ.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/

//ɪnˌteɹ.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“interrogation” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,738. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,738
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
18
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of interrogating or questioning; an examination by questions; an inquiry.

Corpus desk

Index EN-interrogation · interrogation · English

interrogation · rank #13,738 · 18 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,738
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH insecurity

Nearest frequency peer: insecurity (-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 “interrogation”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “interrogation” 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).

interrogation vs interrogator
85% similar
interrogation vs interrogating
85% similar
interrogation vs interpolation
85% similar

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

Key facts for interrogation
PropertyValue
Headwordinterrogation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˌteɹ.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/
Letters13
Frequency rank#13,738
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “interrogation”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).interrogationlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “insecurity” (#13,737), “induce” (#13,736), “implication” (#13,735). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “interrogation” is #13,738. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around interrogation (IPA /ɪnˌteɹ.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #13,738 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for interrogation, with forms such as "inetrrogation", "innterrogation", and "interogation". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "interrogator", "interrogating", "interpolation", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English interrogacion, from Old French interrogacion, from Latin interrogātiō, from interrogō, from inter- (“between; among”) + rogō (“to ask; to request”). Equivalent to inter- + rogation or interrogate + -ion. The correct English form is interrogation, spelled I-N-T-E-R-R-O-G-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of interrogating or questioning; an examination by questions; an inquiry.
  2. 2
    A question put; an inquiry.
  3. 3
    A question mark.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There is no interrogation in his eyes / Or in the hands, quiet over the horse's neck, / And the eyes watchful, waiting, perceiving, indifferent.
  2. As an isolating language Belter Creole is rich in particles. Particles are used to indicate both negation and interrogation: na is the negative particle and it is placed before the verb

Etymology

From Middle English interrogacion, from Old French interrogacion, from Latin interrogātiō, from interrogō, from inter- (“between; among”) + rogō (“to ask; to request”). Equivalent to inter- + rogation or interrogate + -ion.

This word in other languages

interrogatorio(Español)Befragung(Deutsch)interrogatório(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetrrogation
  • innterrogation
  • interogation
  • interorgation
  • interrgoation
  • interroagtion
  • interrogaiton
  • interrogasion
  • interrogatino
  • interrogationn
  • interrogatoin
  • interrogattion
  • interroggation
  • interrogtaion
  • intrerogation
  • intterrogation
  • itnerrogation
  • niterrogation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of interrogation - 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.

inetrrogation2innterrogation1interogation1interorgation2interrgoation2interroagtion2interrogaiton2interrogasion1
Edit distance from "interrogation"

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 "interrogation"?
"interrogation" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-R-O-G-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˌteɹ.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/.
What does "interrogation" mean?
As a noun, "interrogation" means: The act of interrogating or questioning; an examination by questions; an inquiry.
What words are commonly confused with "interrogation"?
"interrogation" is commonly confused with "interrogator", "interrogating", "interpolation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "interrogation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "interrogation" is /ɪnˌteɹ.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/. 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 "interrogation"?
From Middle English interrogacion, from Old French interrogacion, from Latin interrogātiō, from interrogō, from inter- (“between; among”) + rogō (“to ask; to request”). Equivalent to inter- + rogation or interrogate + -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 "interrogation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

multinational#13,765complementary#13,688schizophrenia#13,806compassionate#13,887

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

acquaintance18 variantsconvertible18 variantshandwriting18 variantsobstruction18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list