intersection

/ˈɪntəɹˌsɛkʃən/

//ˈɪntəɹˌsɛkʃən// noun

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

"intersection" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“intersection” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,560. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,560
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
19
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The junction of two (or more) paths, streets, highways, or other thoroughfares.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intersection · intersection · English

intersection · rank #8,560 · 19 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,560
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH interfere

Nearest frequency peer: interfere (-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 “intersection”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intersection” 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).

intersection vs intervention
83% similar
intersection vs interaction
83% similar
intersection vs interception
83% similar

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

Key facts for intersection
PropertyValue
Headwordintersection
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪntəɹˌsɛkʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#8,560
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intersection”

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).intersectionlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “interfere” (#8,559), “juvenile” (#8,562), “imports” (#8,557). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intersection” is #8,560. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around intersection (IPA /ˈɪntəɹˌsɛkʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,560 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for intersection, with forms such as "inetrsection", "inntersection", and "interesction". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "intervention", "interaction", "interception", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French intersection and its etymon Latin intersectiō. By surface analysis, intersect + -ion. The correct English form is intersection, spelled I-N-T-E-R-S-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The junction of two (or more) paths, streets, highways, or other thoroughfares.
  2. 2
    Any overlap, confluence, or crossover.
  3. 3
    The point or set of points common to two geometrical objects (such as the point where two lines meet or the line where two planes intersect).
  4. 4
    The set containing all the elements that are common to two or more sets.
  5. 5
    The element where two or more straight lines of synchronized skaters pass through each other.https://web.archive.org/web/20120214131704/http://www.isu.org/vsite/vcontent/content/transnews/0,10869,4844-128590-19728-18885-295370-3787-4771-layout160-129898-news-item,00.html
  6. 6
    The pullback of a corner of monics.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonym: crossroads
  2. We determined that the car driver’s transportation of multiple teen passengers, limited driving experience, and likely impairment from effects of cannabis at the time of the crash adversely affected her judgment of the danger of entering the intersection in front of the approaching combination vehicle.

Etymology

From Middle French intersection and its etymon Latin intersectiō. By surface analysis, intersect + -ion.

Synonyms

crossroads

This word in other languages

cruce(Español)carrefour(Français)Kreuzung(Deutsch)nó(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetrsection
  • inntersection
  • interesction
  • interrsection
  • interscetion
  • intersecction
  • interseciton
  • intersecsion
  • intersectino
  • intersectionn
  • intersectoin
  • intersecttion
  • intersetcion
  • interssection
  • intesrection
  • intresection
  • inttersection
  • itnersection
  • nitersection

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of intersection - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

inetrsection2inntersection1interesction2interrsection1interscetion2intersecction1interseciton2intersecsion1
Edit distance from "intersection"

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 "intersection"?
"intersection" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-S-E-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪntəɹˌsɛkʃən/.
What does "intersection" mean?
As a noun, "intersection" means: The junction of two (or more) paths, streets, highways, or other thoroughfares.
What words are commonly confused with "intersection"?
"intersection" is commonly confused with "intervention", "interaction", "interception". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intersection"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intersection" is /ˈɪntəɹˌsɛkʃən/. 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 "intersection"?
From Middle French intersection and its etymon Latin intersectiō. By surface analysis, intersect + -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 "intersection", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

supernatural#8,490imprisonment#8,438preparations#8,708conditioning#8,400

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

qualification19 variantscorrespondent19 variantsgovernmental19 variantsimplementing19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list