English Word Reference Free

intro

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

5 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

open dictionary

Access

Free

no sign-up needed

Detailed reference entry for the English word "intro", 5-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "intro" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "intro" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

intro is aEnglishnoun. It means: An introduction. Pronounced /ˈɪntɹoʊ/. It ranks #9,487 in English word frequency. Often confused with int and into.

Key facts for intro
PropertyValue
Headwordintro
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪntɹoʊ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#9,487
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of intro in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for intro is 5 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɪntɹoʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,487 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text.Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 6 documented wrong-spelling variants for intro, with forms such as "inntro", "inrto", and "intor". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "int", "into", "info", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of introduction, from Latin intrōductiō (“lead-in, introduction”) – the abbreviation removes the second part of the compound; the first part ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁énteros (“inner, what is inside”). The demoscene sense comes from th… Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is intro, spelled I-N-T-R-O, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    An introduction.
  2. 2
    The opening sequence at beginning of a film, television program, etc.
  3. 3
    A small demo produced to promote one's demogroup or for a competition.

Etymology

Clipping of introduction, from Latin intrōductiō (“lead-in, introduction”) – the abbreviation removes the second part of the compound; the first part ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁énteros (“inner, what is inside”). The demoscene sense comes from the fact that they were originally prepended to pirated copies of computer games.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inntro,inrto,intor,intrro,inttro,itnro

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for intro

Misspelling Variants of "intro"

inntro6inrto5intor5intrro6inttro6itnro5
Misspelling Variants of "intro"

Frequency rank: #9,487 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "intro"?
"intro" is spelled I-N-T-R-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪntɹoʊ/.
What does "intro" mean?
As a noun, "intro" means: An introduction.
What words are commonly confused with "intro"?
"intro" is commonly confused with "int", "into", "info". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intro"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intro" is /ˈɪntɹoʊ/. 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 "intro"?
Clipping of introduction, from Latin intrōductiō (“lead-in, introduction”) – the abbreviation removes the second part of the compound; the first part ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁énteros (“inner, what is inside”). The demoscene sense com... 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter I in our English index:

Explore PlainSpell

Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.