Words with the prefix inter-
inter- means “between; among”, from Latin.
16 examples of the prefix inter-
- interactinter- + actact between or with each other
- internationalinter- + nationalbetween or among nations
- internetinter- + netnetwork connecting networks together
- interviewinter- + viewmeeting between two parties
- interruptinter- + ruptbreak in between something ongoing
- intervalinter- + valspace or gap between two points
- interfereinter- + ferecome between and meddle
- interplayinter- + playreciprocal action between things
- interlockinter- + lockfit together between one another
- interchangeinter- + changeexchange between two parties
- interconnectinter- + connectconnect things among each other
- intermediateinter- + mediatesituated between two extremes
- intertwineinter- + twinetwist together around each other
- intercontinentalinter- + continentalbetween or across continents
- interstellarinter- + stellaroccurring between the stars
Also: interlude
How inter- works
The prefix 'inter-' attaches to nouns, verbs, and adjectives without spelling changes, as the base 'inter-' form is stable before all consonants and vowels. Unlike the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'not'), 'inter-' does not assimilate to match the following letter, so it remains 'inter-' in all these words.
Watch out: Words like 'interest,' 'interior,' and 'internal' look as though they contain 'inter-' meaning 'between,' but they do not — 'interest' derives from Latin 'interesse' as a whole word, and 'interior' and 'internal' use the Latin root 'inter' meaning 'within,' not the separable prefix indicating a relationship between distinct things.
To see prefixes combine with other parts, try the word dissector and root builder, or test yourself in the vocabulary quiz.
Other common prefixes
Questions people ask
What does the prefix inter- mean?
inter- means “between; among”. It comes from Latin. The prefix 'inter-' attaches to nouns, verbs, and adjectives without spelling changes, as the base 'inter-' form is stable before all consonants and vowels. Unlike the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'not'), 'inter-' does not assimilate to match the following letter, so it remains 'inter-' in all these words.
What are some examples of words with the prefix inter-?
interact, international, internet, interview, interrupt, interval, interfere, interplay. The full list of 16 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.
Which words look like they have the prefix inter- but don’t?
Words like 'interest,' 'interior,' and 'internal' look as though they contain 'inter-' meaning 'between,' but they do not — 'interest' derives from Latin 'interesse' as a whole word, and 'interior' and 'internal' use the Latin root 'inter' meaning 'within,' not the separable prefix indicating a relationship between distinct things.
What is a prefix?
A prefix is a word part added to the front of a base word or root to change its meaning, like un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite. It does not usually change the part of speech.