example
/ɪɡˈzɑːm.pəl/
"example" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“example” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #540 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #540
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Something that is representative of all such things in a group.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | example |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ɪɡˈzɑːm.pəl/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #540 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “example” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for example is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪɡˈzɑːm.pəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #540 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for example, with forms such as "eaxmple", "examlpe", and "exammple". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "examples", "examine", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English example, exaumple, from Old French example, essaumple, from Latin exemplum (“sample, pattern, specimen, copy for imitation, etc.”, literally “what is taken out”); see exempt. Doublet of exemplum and sample. Displaced native Middle Englis… The correct English form is example, spelled E-X-A-M-P-L-E.
Definition
- 1Something that is representative of all such things in a group.
- 2Something that serves to illustrate or explain a rule.
- 3Something that serves as a pattern of behaviour to be imitated (a good example) or not to be imitated (a bad example).
- 4A person punished as a warning to others.
- 5A parallel or closely similar case, especially when serving as a precedent or model.
- 6An instance (as a problem to be solved) serving to illustrate the rule or precept or to act as an exercise in the application of the rule.
Etymology
From Middle English example, exaumple, from Old French example, essaumple, from Latin exemplum (“sample, pattern, specimen, copy for imitation, etc.”, literally “what is taken out”); see exempt. Doublet of exemplum and sample. Displaced native Middle English forebisne, from Old English forebȳsn; and Middle English bisne, from Old English bȳsn (modern English bizen).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: eaxmple,examlpe,exammple,exampel,examplle,exampple,exapmle,exmaple,exxample,xeample
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of example - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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
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Using “example”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-X-A-M-P-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪɡˈzɑːm.pəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “examples” - see the side-by-side comparison. example vs examples
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.