excellent

/ˈɛksələnt/

//ˈɛksələnt// adj

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

"excellent" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“excellent” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,896 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,896
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having excelled, having surpassed.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

excellent vs excellently
82% similar
excellent vs excellence
80% similar
excellent vs excellency
80% similar

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

Key facts for excellent
PropertyValue
Headwordexcellent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɛksələnt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#1,896
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “excellent” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). excellent lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for excellent is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛksələnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,896 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for excellent, with forms such as "ecxellent", "exccellent", and "excelelnt". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "excellently", "excellence", "excellency", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English excellent, from Old French excellent, from Latin excellēns (“elevated, exalted”), present participle of excellō (“elevate, exult”), equivalent to excel + -ent. The correct English form is excellent, spelled E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having excelled, having surpassed.
  2. 2
    Of higher or the highest quality; splendid.
  3. 3
    Exceptionally good of its kind.
  4. 4
    Superior in kind or degree, irrespective of moral quality.

Etymology

From Middle English excellent, from Old French excellent, from Latin excellēns (“elevated, exalted”), present participle of excellō (“elevate, exult”), equivalent to excel + -ent.

Synonyms

aceadmirableamazingawe-inspiringawesomebadassbang onbang-upstudlybasedbeneshipbitchingbombbrilliantbullycherchoicechronicchurcock oncommendablecoolcopaceticcrackerjackcushtydankdefdopeepicexcellentexceptionalexemplaryexquisiteextraordinaryfabfabulousfantabulosafantasticfinger-lickin' goodfirefireballfirst-rateflyfrabjousgloriousgnarlygoatedgreatgrouseimmaculateimpeccableincrediblekick-asskickingkillerlashlautitiouslitmagnificentmarvelousnangoutstandingout of sightphatpeakpengphenomenalpogpoggerspukkaqualityradradicalremarkablerumsensationalsickslap-upslickspectacularspiffingsplendidspot onstellarsterlingstunningsupersuperbsuperiorsweetswellterrifictighttoptop-drawertop-holetop-notchtop-of-the-rangetop-shelftoppingtubulartuffwell-donewickedwicked pissahwonderfulworldie

Antonyms

poorterriblebadinferior

This word in other languages

excelente(Español)excellent(Français)ausgezeichnet(Deutsch)excelente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ecxellent,exccellent,excelelnt,excelent,excellennt,excellentt,excelletn,excellnet,exclelent,execllent,exxcellent,xecellent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ecxellent2exccellent1excelelnt2excelent1excellennt1excellentt1excelletn2excellnet2
Edit distance from "excellent"

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 "excellent"?
"excellent" is spelled E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛksələnt/.
What does "excellent" mean?
As an adjective, "excellent" means: Having excelled, having surpassed.
What words are commonly confused with "excellent"?
"excellent" is commonly confused with "excellently", "excellence", "excellency". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "excellent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "excellent" is /ˈɛksələnt/. 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 "excellent"?
From Middle English excellent, from Old French excellent, from Latin excellēns (“elevated, exalted”), present participle of excellō (“elevate, exult”), equivalent to excel + -ent. 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.

Using “excellent”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɛksələnt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “excellently” - see the side-by-side comparison. excellent vs excellently
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list