intrigue

/ˈɪntɹiːɡ/

//ˈɪntɹiːɡ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“intrigue” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,112. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,112
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A complicated or clandestine plot or scheme intended to affect some purpose by secret artifice; conspiracy; stratagem.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intrigue · intrigue · English

intrigue · rank #18,112 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #18,112
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH interruption

Nearest frequency peer: interruption (-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 “intrigue”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intrigue” 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).

intrigue vs intrigues
89% similar

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

Key facts for intrigue
PropertyValue
Headwordintrigue
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪntɹiːɡ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#18,112
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intrigue”

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).intriguelands 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 “interruption” (#18,111), “itch” (#18,113), “insertion” (#18,110). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intrigue” is #18,112. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around intrigue (IPA /ˈɪntɹiːɡ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,112 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for intrigue, with forms such as "inntrigue", "inrtigue", and "intirgue". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "intrigues", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French intrigue, from Italian intricare, from Latin intrīcō (“I entangle, perplex, embarrass”). Doublet of intricate. The correct English form is intrigue, spelled I-N-T-R-I-G-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A complicated or clandestine plot or scheme intended to affect some purpose by secret artifice; conspiracy; stratagem.
  2. 2
    The plot of a play, poem or romance; the series of complications in which a writer involves their imaginary characters.
  3. 3
    Clandestine intercourse between persons; illicit intimacy; a liaison or affair.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] lost in such a jungle of intrigues, pettifoggings, treacheries, diplomacies domestic and foreign […]
  2. I often used to smile at a young Ensign of the Guards, who always popped [pawned] his sword and watch when he wanted cash for an intrigue; […]

Etymology

Borrowed from French intrigue, from Italian intricare, from Latin intrīcō (“I entangle, perplex, embarrass”). Doublet of intricate.

This word in other languages

intriga(Español)intrigue(Français)Intrige(Deutsch)intriga(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inntrigue
  • inrtigue
  • intirgue
  • intrgiue
  • intrigeu
  • intriggue
  • intriuge
  • intrrigue
  • inttrigue
  • itnrigue
  • nitrigue

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inntrigue1inrtigue2intirgue2intrgiue2intrigeu2intriggue1intriuge2intrrigue1
Edit distance from "intrigue"

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 "intrigue"?
"intrigue" is spelled I-N-T-R-I-G-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪntɹiːɡ/.
What does "intrigue" mean?
As a noun, "intrigue" means: A complicated or clandestine plot or scheme intended to affect some purpose by secret artifice; conspiracy; stratagem.
What words are commonly confused with "intrigue"?
"intrigue" is commonly confused with "intrigues". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intrigue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intrigue" is /ˈɪntɹiːɡ/. 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 "intrigue"?
Borrowed from French intrigue, from Italian intricare, from Latin intrīcō (“I entangle, perplex, embarrass”). Doublet of intricate. 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 "intrigue", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Helsinki#18,097handheld#18,092gripping#18,091metadata#18,133

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

hayward11 variantsparcels11 variantsplumber11 variantsdiagonal11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list