interrupt

/ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/

//ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt// verb

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

"interrupt" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“interrupt” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,796. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,796
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly, especially by speaking.

Corpus desk

Index EN-interrupt · interrupt · English

interrupt · rank #12,796 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,796
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH internship

Nearest frequency peer: internship (-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 “interrupt”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “interrupt” 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).

interrupt vs interrupted
82% similar
interrupt vs intercept
78% similar

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

Key facts for interrupt
PropertyValue
Headwordinterrupt
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#12,796
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “interrupt”

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).interruptlands 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 “internship” (#12,795), “invade” (#12,797), “infringement” (#12,794). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “interrupt” is #12,796. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around interrupt (IPA /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #12,796 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for interrupt, with forms such as "inetrrupt", "innterrupt", and "interrput". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "interrupted", "intercept", 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 interrupten, derived from Latin interruptus, past participle of interrumpere (“to break apart/off, interrupt”), from inter (“between”) + rumpere (“to break”). The correct English form is interrupt, spelled I-N-T-E-R-R-U-P-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly, especially by speaking.
  2. 2
    To divide; to separate; to break the monotony of.
  3. 3
    To assert to (a computer) that an exceptional condition must be handled.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A maverick politician repeatedly interrupted the debate by shouting.
  2. Do not interrupt me in my course.

Etymology

From Middle English interrupten, derived from Latin interruptus, past participle of interrumpere (“to break apart/off, interrupt”), from inter (“between”) + rumpere (“to break”).

Synonyms

interject

Antonyms

continueresume

This word in other languages

interrumpir(Español)interrompre(Français)unterbrechen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetrrupt
  • innterrupt
  • interrput
  • interruppt
  • interruptt
  • interrutp
  • interupt
  • interurpt
  • intrerupt
  • intterrupt
  • itnerrupt
  • niterrupt

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inetrrupt2innterrupt1interrput2interruppt1interruptt1interrutp2interupt1interurpt2
Edit distance from "interrupt"

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 "interrupt"?
"interrupt" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-R-U-P-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/.
What does "interrupt" mean?
As a verb, "interrupt" means: To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly, especially by speaking.
What words are commonly confused with "interrupt"?
"interrupt" is commonly confused with "interrupted", "intercept". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "interrupt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "interrupt" is /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/. 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 "interrupt"?
From Middle English interrupten, derived from Latin interruptus, past participle of interrumpere (“to break apart/off, interrupt”), from inter (“between”) + rumpere (“to break”). 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 "interrupt", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hostility#12,790moonlight#12,808feminists#12,775overthrow#12,822

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

knockout12 variantshandicap12 variantsfreshly12 variantsnobody's12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list