exclude

/ɪksˈkluːd/

//ɪksˈkluːd// verb

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

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

The verdict

“exclude” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,888. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,888
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To bar (someone or something) from entering; to keep out.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exclude · exclude · English

exclude · rank #9,888 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,888
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH exempt

Nearest frequency peer: exempt (+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 “exclude”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exclude” 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).

exclude vs excuse
71% similar
exclude vs explode
71% similar
exclude vs excluded
88% similar

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

Key facts for exclude
PropertyValue
Headwordexclude
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪksˈkluːd/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,888
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exclude”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).excludelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “exempt” (#9,889), “Elvis” (#9,886), “exposing” (#9,890). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exclude” is #9,888. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around exclude (IPA /ɪksˈkluːd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,888 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for exclude, with forms such as "ecxlude", "excclude", and "excldue". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "excuse", "explode", "excluded", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin exclūdō, from prefix ex- (“out”) + variant form of verb claudō (“close”). The correct English form is exclude, spelled E-X-C-L-U-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To bar (someone or something) from entering; to keep out.
  2. 2
    To expel; to put out.
  3. 3
    To omit from consideration.
  4. 4
    To refuse to accept (evidence) as valid.
  5. 5
    To eliminate from diagnostic consideration.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. One end of the east-west building is wet, the other windy, and at present there is smoke abounding, too; but these distressing yard elements can be completely excluded at each end by full-width folding doors [...].
  2. [T]he 1924 Immigration Act was designed specifically to exclude Eastern European Jews (among other undesirable European ethnic groups) from entering the country.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin exclūdō, from prefix ex- (“out”) + variant form of verb claudō (“close”).

Synonyms

debarforbarturn awayshut outejectthrow outturf outkick outomitomit

Antonyms

include

This word in other languages

excluir(Español)exclure(Français)ausschließen(Deutsch)excluir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ecxlude
  • excclude
  • excldue
  • excllude
  • exclued
  • exculde
  • exlcude
  • exxclude
  • xeclude

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ecxlude2excclude1excldue2excllude1exclued2exculde2exlcude2exxclude1
Edit distance from "exclude"

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 "exclude"?
"exclude" is spelled E-X-C-L-U-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪksˈkluːd/.
What does "exclude" mean?
As a verb, "exclude" means: To bar (someone or something) from entering; to keep out.
What words are commonly confused with "exclude"?
"exclude" is commonly confused with "excuse", "explode", "excluded". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exclude"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exclude" is /ɪksˈkluːd/. 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 "exclude"?
Borrowed from Latin exclūdō, from prefix ex- (“out”) + variant form of verb claudō (“close”). 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 "exclude", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Dorothy#9,878invalid#9,908jointly#9,910chopped#9,859

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

exempt9 variantsDurham9 variantsdrones9 variantsdrawer9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list