exclave

/ˈɛkskleɪv/

//ˈɛkskleɪv// noun

"exclave" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exclave” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A portion of a country's territory not connected to the main part.

Key facts for exclave
PropertyValue
Headwordexclave
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛkskleɪv/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “exclave” sits in English frequency

exclave falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

exclave is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɛkskleɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for exclave in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From ex- + (en)clave. The correct English form is exclave, spelled E-X-C-L-A-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A portion of a country's territory not connected to the main part.
  2. 2
    A detached part of an organ, as of the pancreas, thyroid (accessory thyroids), or other gland.

Etymology

From ex- + (en)clave.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "exclave"?
"exclave" is spelled E-X-C-L-A-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛkskleɪv/.
What does "exclave" mean?
As a noun, "exclave" means: A portion of a country's territory not connected to the main part.
How do you pronounce "exclave"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exclave" is /ˈɛkskleɪv/. 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 "exclave"?
From ex- + (en)clave. 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 “exclave”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-X-C-L-A-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɛkskleɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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