examine

/ɪɡˈzæmɪn/

//ɪɡˈzæmɪn// verb

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

"examine" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“examine” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,325. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,325
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To observe or inspect carefully or critically.

Corpus desk

Index EN-examine · examine · English

examine · rank #5,325 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,325
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH escaped

Nearest frequency peer: escaped (-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 “examine”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “examine” 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).

examine vs example
71% similar
examine vs examined
88% similar
examine vs examiner
88% similar

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

Key facts for examine
PropertyValue
Headwordexamine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪɡˈzæmɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,325
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “examine”

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).examinelands 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 “escaped” (#5,324), “floating” (#5,326), “endless” (#5,323). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “examine” is #5,325. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around examine (IPA /ɪɡˈzæmɪn/), averb. Corpus frequency is #5,325 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for examine, with forms such as "eaxmine", "exaimne", and "examien". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "example", "examined", "examiner", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English examinen, examenen, from Old French examiner, from Latin exāmināre. The correct English form is examine, spelled E-X-A-M-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To observe or inspect carefully or critically.
  2. 2
    To check the health or condition of something or someone.
  3. 3
    To determine the aptitude, skills or qualifications of someone by subjecting them to an examination.
  4. 4
    To interrogate.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He examined the crime scene for clues.
  2. She examined the hair sample under a microscope.

Etymology

From Middle English examinen, examenen, from Old French examiner, from Latin exāmināre.

Synonyms

pore overunderseeanalyzecheckexamineinspectthreshlook overlusterlustrateoverlookprobescrutinatescrutinizestudysurvey

Antonyms

fail to noticeignore

This word in other languages

examinar(Español)examiner(Français)untersuchen(Deutsch)examinar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eaxmine
  • exaimne
  • examien
  • examinne
  • exammine
  • examnie
  • exmaine
  • exxamine
  • xeamine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of examine - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

eaxmine2exaimne2examien2examinne1exammine1examnie2exmaine2exxamine1
Edit distance from "examine"

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 "examine"?
"examine" is spelled E-X-A-M-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪɡˈzæmɪn/.
What does "examine" mean?
As a verb, "examine" means: To observe or inspect carefully or critically.
What words are commonly confused with "examine"?
"examine" is commonly confused with "example", "examined", "examiner". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "examine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "examine" is /ɪɡˈzæmɪn/. 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 "examine"?
From Middle English examinen, examenen, from Old French examiner, from Latin exāmināre. 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 "examine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

escaped#5,324endless#5,323garbage#5,327devoted#5,318

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

gospel9 variantspatent9 variantscarpet9 variantscancel9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list