intervene

/ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈviːn/

//ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈviːn// verb

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

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

The verdict

“intervene” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,080. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,080
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intervene · intervene · English

intervene · rank #12,080 · 13 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,080
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH indefinitely

Nearest frequency peer: indefinitely (-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 “intervene”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intervene” 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).

intervene vs interfere
78% similar
intervene vs interment
78% similar
intervene vs intercede
78% similar

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

Key facts for intervene
PropertyValue
Headwordintervene
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈviːn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#12,080
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intervene”

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).intervenelands 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 “indefinitely” (#12,079), “incompetent” (#12,078), “inception” (#12,077). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intervene” is #12,080. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around intervene (IPA /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈviːn/), averb. Corpus frequency is #12,080 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for intervene, with forms such as "inetrvene", "inntervene", and "interevne". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "interfere", "interment", "intercede", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from intervention, and/or from Latin interveniō (“come between”, verb). The correct English form is intervene, spelled I-N-T-E-R-V-E-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action.
  2. 2
    To occur, fall, or come between, points of time, or events.
  3. 3
    To occur or act as an obstacle or delay.
  4. 4
    To say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people.
  5. 5
    To come between, or to be between, persons or things.
  6. 6
    In a suit to which one has not been made a party, to put forward a defense of one's interest in the subject matter.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The police had to be called to intervene in the fight.
  2. Nature film-makers are discouraged from intervening in the events they are attempting to capture on film.

Etymology

Back-formation from intervention, and/or from Latin interveniō (“come between”, verb).

This word in other languages

intervenir(Español)intervenir(Français)eingreifen(Deutsch)interceder(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inetrvene
  • inntervene
  • interevne
  • interrvene
  • interveen
  • intervenne
  • intervnee
  • intervvene
  • intevrene
  • intrevene
  • inttervene
  • itnervene
  • nitervene

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inetrvene2inntervene1interevne2interrvene1interveen2intervenne1intervnee2intervvene1
Edit distance from "intervene"

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 "intervene"?
"intervene" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-V-E-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈviːn/.
What does "intervene" mean?
As a verb, "intervene" means: To become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action.
What words are commonly confused with "intervene"?
"intervene" is commonly confused with "interfere", "interment", "intercede". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intervene"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intervene" is /ˌɪntə(ɹ)ˈviːn/. 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 "intervene"?
Back-formation from intervention, and/or from Latin interveniō (“come between”, verb). 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 "intervene", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

inception#12,077imagining#12,075hypocrisy#12,074Highlands#12,068

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

loneliness13 variantsmanifesto13 variantsnumerical13 variantsDominican13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list