excess

/ˈɛksɛs/

//ˈɛksɛs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“excess” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,035. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,035
frequency rank, English
18,836
“E” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of surpassing or going beyond a limit; the state of being beyond sufficiency, necessity, or duty; more than what is usual or proper.

Corpus desk

Index EN-excess · excess · English

excess · rank #5,035 · 7 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,035
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 18,836
  • PHOTO-FINISH evaluation

Nearest frequency peer: evaluation (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “excess”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “excess” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

excess vs exes
67% similar
excess vs excuse
67% similar
excess vs excise
67% similar

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

Key facts for excess
PropertyValue
Headwordexcess
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛksɛs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#5,035
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “excess” 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). excess lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around excess (IPA /ˈɛksɛs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,035 among 18,836 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for excess, with forms such as "ecxess", "exccess", and "exces". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "exes", "excuse", "excise", 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 exces (“excess, ecstasy”), from Old French exces, from Latin excessus (“a going out, loss of self-possession”), from excedere, excessum (“to go out, go beyond”). See exceed. The correct English form is excess, spelled E-X-C-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of surpassing or going beyond a limit; the state of being beyond sufficiency, necessity, or duty; more than what is usual or proper.
  2. 2
    The degree or amount by which one thing or number exceeds another; remainder.
  3. 3
    An act of eating or drinking more than enough.
  4. 4
    Spherical excess, the amount by which the sum of the three angles of a spherical triangle exceeds two right angles. The spherical excess is proportional to the area of the triangle.
  5. 5
    A condition on an insurance policy by which the insured pays for a part of the claim.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The excess of heavy water was given away to the neighbouring country.
  2. To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, […] Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

Etymology

From Middle English exces (“excess, ecstasy”), from Old French exces, from Latin excessus (“a going out, loss of self-possession”), from excedere, excessum (“to go out, go beyond”). See exceed.

Synonyms

abundanceacrasiaacrasyexcessexcessivenessexuberancecopiousnessfecundityfertilenessfertilityfruitfulnessfulthglutimmoderationincontinenceintemperancemountainnimietyoverabundanceoverageoverflowoverplusoverquantityoversumplenteousnessplentifulnessplentyplethoraproductivenessprofusionsuperabundancesuperadditionsuperfluitysuperfluousnesssuperfluxsuperplussurfeitsurplussurplusageubertyug

Antonyms

deficiencylack

This word in other languages

exceso(Español)excès(Français)Überfluss(Deutsch)excesso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ecxess
  • exccess
  • exces
  • excses
  • execss
  • exxcess
  • xecess

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ecxess2exccess1exces1excses2execss2exxcess1xecess2
Edit distance from "excess"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "excess"?
"excess" is spelled E-X-C-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛksɛs/.
What does "excess" mean?
As a noun, "excess" means: The state of surpassing or going beyond a limit; the state of being beyond sufficiency, necessity, or duty; more than what is usual or proper.
What words are commonly confused with "excess"?
"excess" is commonly confused with "exes", "excuse", "excise". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "excess"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "excess" is /ˈɛksɛs/. 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 "excess"?
From Middle English exces (“excess, ecstasy”), from Old French exces, from Latin excessus (“a going out, loss of self-possession”), from excedere, excessum (“to go out, go beyond”). See exceed. 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 "excess", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

habits#5,047Hawaii#5,048holder#5,050clinic#5,015

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

males7 variantsunity7 variantsrolled7 variantssouls7 variants
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