intersex

/ˈɪn.tə.sɛks/

//ˈɪn.tə.sɛks// adj

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

"intersex" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“intersex” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,045. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,045
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of an individual, having any of a variety of inherent conditions (in a species with distinct sexes) in which one's sex characteristics differ from those of a typical male and female; for example, h...

Corpus desk

Index EN-intersex · intersex · English

intersex · rank #32,045 · 12 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,045
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inhaler

Nearest frequency peer: inhaler (-2 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 “intersex”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intersex” 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).

intersex vs inverse
75% similar
intersex vs intense
75% similar
intersex vs internet
75% similar

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

Key facts for intersex
PropertyValue
Headwordintersex
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɪn.tə.sɛks/
Letters8
Frequency rank#32,045
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intersex”

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).intersexlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “inhaler” (#32,043), “ironed” (#32,047), “incontinence” (#32,041). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intersex” is #32,045. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around intersex (IPA /ˈɪn.tə.sɛks/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #32,045 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for intersex, with forms such as "inetrsex", "inntersex", and "interesx". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "inverse", "intense", "internet", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From German Intersexe. Doublet of intersect. By surface analysis, inter- + sex. The correct English form is intersex, spelled I-N-T-E-R-S-E-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of an individual, having any of a variety of inherent conditions (in a species with distinct sexes) in which one's sex characteristics differ from those of a typical male and female; for example, having sex characteristics relating to both male and female sexes.
  2. 2
    A person who can get pregnant and also impregnate someone else.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. His confidentiality was broken, and soon the entire staff and residential population were aware that Jim was intersex. […] we faced the fact that most programs were gender segregated and would not be a safe place for Jim to be known as intersex.
  2. When I had learned that I was intersex, I brought this issue to my mother.

Etymology

From German Intersexe. Doublet of intersect. By surface analysis, inter- + sex.

Synonyms

hermaphroditichermaphroditepseudohermaphroditicpseudohermaphroditeindeterminateX

This word in other languages

intersexual(Español)intersexué(Français)intersexuell(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetrsex
  • inntersex
  • interesx
  • interrsex
  • intersexx
  • interssex
  • intersxe
  • intesrex
  • intresex
  • inttersex
  • itnersex
  • nitersex

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inetrsex2inntersex1interesx2interrsex1intersexx1interssex1intersxe2intesrex2
Edit distance from "intersex"

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 "intersex"?
"intersex" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-S-E-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪn.tə.sɛks/.
What does "intersex" mean?
As an adjective, "intersex" means: Of an individual, having any of a variety of inherent conditions (in a species with distinct sexes) in which one's sex characteristics differ from those of a typical male and female; for example, h...
What words are commonly confused with "intersex"?
"intersex" is commonly confused with "inverse", "intense", "internet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intersex"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intersex" is /ˈɪn.tə.sɛks/. 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 "intersex"?
From German Intersexe. Doublet of intersect. By surface analysis, inter- + sex. 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 "intersex", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

imitated#32,038lakeland#32,053hygienic#32,036Hardwick#32,024

Similar misspelling depth

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

hourglass12 variantsHoneywell12 variantsGuadalupe12 variantsfreeport12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list