exclaim

/ɛkˈskleɪm/

//ɛkˈskleɪm// verb

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

"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
2,246
“E” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cry out suddenly, from some strong emotion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exclaim · exclaim · English

exclaim · rank #36,135 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,135
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH eunuch

Nearest frequency peer: eunuch (-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 “exclaim”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exclaim” 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).

exclaim vs explain
71% similar
exclaim vs exclaimed
78% similar

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

Key facts for exclaim
PropertyValue
Headwordexclaim
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɛkˈskleɪm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#36,135
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exclaim”

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).exclaimlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “eunuch” (#36,134), “extort” (#36,136), “ethnography” (#36,133). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exclaim” is #36,135. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around exclaim (IPA /ɛkˈskleɪm/), averb. Corpus frequency is #36,135 among 2,246 “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

  1. 1
    To cry out suddenly, from some strong emotion.
  2. 2
    To say suddenly and with strong emotion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I am a soldier, and unapt to weep, Or to exclaim on fortune’s fickleness.
  2. Very grave and good Women exclaimed against Men who begot Children and then disowned them.

Etymology

From Middle French exclamer, from Latin exclāmō, exclāmāre (“call out”), from ex- + clāmō (“to call”).

Synonyms

ejaculate. See also Thesaurus:shout

This word in other languages

exclamar(Español)exclamer(Français)ausrufen(Deutsch)exclamar(Português)

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.

ecxlaim2excalim2excclaim1exclaimm1exclami2excliam2excllaim1exlcaim2
Edit distance from "exclaim"

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"?
"exclaim" is spelled E-X-C-L-A-I-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛkˈskleɪm/.
What does "exclaim" mean?
As a verb, "exclaim" means: To cry out suddenly, from some strong emotion.
What words are commonly confused with "exclaim"?
"exclaim" is commonly confused with "explain", "exclaimed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exclaim"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exclaim" is /ɛkˈskleɪm/. 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 "exclaim"?
From Middle French exclamer, from Latin exclāmō, exclāmāre (“call out”), from ex- + clāmō (“to call”). 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 "exclaim", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

fissure#36,143Donahue#36,111Hogarth#36,176Houdini#36,178

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

drowsy10 variantscoolness10 variantsconceit10 variantscollared10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list