exclaim
/ɛkˈskleɪm/
"exclaim" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“exclaim” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,135. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #36,135
- frequency rank, English
- 18,836
- “E” headwords
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To cry out suddenly, from some strong emotion.
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 | exclaim |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɛkˈskleɪm/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #36,135 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “exclaim” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 10 spelling variants around exclaim (IPA /ɛkˈskleɪm/), averb. Corpus frequency is #36,135 among 18,836 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for exclaim, with forms such as "ecxlaim", "excalim", and "excclaim". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "explain", "exclaimed", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French exclamer, from Latin exclāmō, exclāmāre (“call out”), from ex- + clāmō (“to call”). The correct English form is exclaim, spelled E-X-C-L-A-I-M.
Definition
- 1To cry out suddenly, from some strong emotion.
- 2To say suddenly and with strong emotion.
Etymology
From Middle French exclamer, from Latin exclāmō, exclāmāre (“call out”), from ex- + clāmō (“to call”).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ecxlaim,excalim,excclaim,exclaimm,exclami,excliam,excllaim,exlcaim,exxclaim,xeclaim
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of exclaim - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "exclaim"?
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Using “exclaim”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-X-C-L-A-I-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɛkˈskleɪm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “explain” - see the side-by-side comparison. exclaim vs explain
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Same frequency band
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.