# interval

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɪntəvəl/ · frequency rank #10,068

## Definitions
1. A distance in space.
2. A period of time.
3. The difference (a ratio or logarithmic measure) in pitch between two notes, often referring to those two pitches themselves (otherwise known as a dyad).
4. A connected section of the real line which may be empty or have a length of zero.
5. An intermission.
6. half time, a scheduled intermission between the periods of play.
7. Either of the two breaks, at lunch and tea, between the three sessions of a day's play.

## Etymology
From Middle English interval, intervalle, from Old French intervalle, entreval, from Latin intervallum (“space between, interval, distance, interval of time, pause, difference; literally, space between two palisades or walls”), from inter (“between”) + vallum (“palisade, wall”).

## Easily confused with
- **intervals** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interval-vs-intervals)
- **internal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/internal-vs-interval)
- **integral** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/integral-vs-interval)
- **Interpol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/interpol-vs-interval)
- **infernal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infernal-vs-interval)

## Common misspellings (12)
`inetrval`, `innterval`, `interavl`, `interrval`, `intervall`, `intervla`, `intervval`, `intevral`, `intreval`, `intterval`, `itnerval`, `niterval`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/interval