exceed

/ɪkˈsiːd/

//ɪkˈsiːd// verb

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

"exceed" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exceed” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,033. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,033
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To be larger, greater than (something).

Corpus desk

Index EN-exceed · exceed · English

exceed · rank #8,033 · 8 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,033
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Essex

Nearest frequency peer: Essex (-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 “exceed”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exceed” 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).

exceed vs excel
67% similar
exceed vs except
67% similar
exceed vs extend
67% similar

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

Key facts for exceed
PropertyValue
Headwordexceed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪkˈsiːd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,033
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exceed”

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).exceedlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Essex” (#8,032), “excluding” (#8,034), “enrollment” (#8,031). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exceed” is #8,033. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around exceed (IPA /ɪkˈsiːd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #8,033 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for exceed, with forms such as "ecxeed", "excceed", and "exced". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "excel", "except", "extend", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English exceden, from Old French exceder, from Latin excēdō (“to go beyond”), from ex- (“out, forth”) with cēdō (“to go”); see cede and compare accede etc. Partly displaced native Old English ofersteppan, whence Modern English overstep. The correct English form is exceed, spelled E-X-C-E-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To be larger, greater than (something).
  2. 2
    To be better than (something).
  3. 3
    To go beyond (some limit); to surpass; to be longer than.
  4. 4
    To predominate.
  5. 5
    To go too far; to be excessive.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The company's 2005 revenue exceeds that of 2004.
  2. The quality of her essay has exceeded my expectations.

Etymology

From Middle English exceden, from Old French exceder, from Latin excēdō (“to go beyond”), from ex- (“out, forth”) with cēdō (“to go”); see cede and compare accede etc. Partly displaced native Old English ofersteppan, whence Modern English overstep.

Synonyms

outbalanceoutweightopexceltopoutperformsurpassoutstepoversteptranscendcross the linebear away the bellbestbetterovertakedwarfeclipseexceedhold the cardsoutclassoutdooutmatchoverbearoutrivaloutrunoutshadowoutshineoutstripoutvieovermatchovershadowpassprevailput to shamerun away withtrumpupstage

Antonyms

to failto be inferiorto fall shortto fall belowto subceedcome short

This word in other languages

sobrepasar(Español)excéder(Français)überschreiten(Deutsch)exceder(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ecxeed
  • excceed
  • exced
  • excede
  • exceedd
  • execed
  • exxceed
  • xeceed

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ecxeed2excceed1exced1excede2exceedd1execed2exxceed1xeceed2
Edit distance from "exceed"

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 "exceed"?
"exceed" is spelled E-X-C-E-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈsiːd/.
What does "exceed" mean?
As a verb, "exceed" means: To be larger, greater than (something).
What words are commonly confused with "exceed"?
"exceed" is commonly confused with "excel", "except", "extend". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exceed"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exceed" is /ɪkˈsiːd/. 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 "exceed"?
From Middle English exceden, from Old French exceder, from Latin excēdō (“to go beyond”), from ex- (“out, forth”) with cēdō (“to go”); see cede and compare accede etc. Partly displaced native Old English ofersteppan, whence Modern English overstep. 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 "exceed", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

fierce#8,036garlic#8,039heroin#8,043debris#8,022

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

hooked8 variantsimpose8 variantsJoshua8 variantslounge8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list