exacting

/ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/

//ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“exacting” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,787. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,787
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Making great demands; difficult to satisfy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exacting · exacting · English

exacting · rank #30,787 · 12 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,787
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH ETS

Nearest frequency peer: ETS (-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 “exacting”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exacting” 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).

exacting vs existing
75% similar
exacting vs exciting
75% similar
exacting vs expecting
78% similar

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

Key facts for exacting
PropertyValue
Headwordexacting
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#30,787
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exacting”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).exactinglands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “ETS” (#30,786), “expectant” (#30,788), “exponent” (#30,789). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exacting” is #30,787. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around exacting (IPA /ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #30,787 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for exacting, with forms such as "eaxcting", "exaccting", and "exacitng". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "existing", "exciting", "expecting", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From exact + -ing. The correct English form is exacting, spelled E-X-A-C-T-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Making great demands; difficult to satisfy.
  2. 2
    Of an action, task, etc., requiring precise accuracy, great care, effort, or attention.
  3. 3
    Of a person or organization, characterized by exaction.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. His exacting taste required no small degree of outward perfection.
  2. [H]e burst into apologies which would have satisfied a more exacting man than I am.

Etymology

From exact + -ing.

Synonyms

demandingdemandingnigglypernicketyacquisitiveextortionategraspingmoney-grubbingrapacious

This word in other languages

exigente(Español)exigeant(Français)anspruchsvoll(Deutsch)exigente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eaxcting
  • exaccting
  • exacitng
  • exactign
  • exactingg
  • exactinng
  • exactnig
  • exactting
  • exatcing
  • excating
  • exxacting
  • xeacting

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eaxcting2exaccting1exacitng2exactign2exactingg1exactinng1exactnig2exactting1
Edit distance from "exacting"

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 "exacting"?
"exacting" is spelled E-X-A-C-T-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/.
What does "exacting" mean?
As an adjective, "exacting" means: Making great demands; difficult to satisfy.
What words are commonly confused with "exacting"?
"exacting" is commonly confused with "existing", "exciting", "expecting". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exacting"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exacting" is /ɪɡˈzæktɪŋ/. 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 "exacting"?
From exact + -ing. 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 "exacting", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

exponent#30,789easterly#30,775freebies#30,803hardline#30,821

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

goddamned12 variantsdelirious12 variantsguidebook12 variantscrucially12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list