How does interleaving help combat burst errors?

Interleaving rearranges data before transmission so that consecutive bits become separated. If burst error corrupts consecutive transmitted bits, de-interleaving at receiver spreads these errors among different code words. This converts burst errors into distributed random errors that error-correcting codes can handle. Types: Block interleaving (write row-wise, read column-wise) and Convolutional interleaving (variable delays). Interleaving depth depends on expected burst length. Trade-offs include latency (deeper interleaving adds delay) and memory requirements. Used in wireless, storage, and CD/DVD systems.