excrescence

/ɛkˈskɹɛsəns/

//ɛkˈskɹɛsəns// noun

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

"excrescence" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Something, usually abnormal, which grows out of something else.

Key facts for excrescence
PropertyValue
Headwordexcrescence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɛkˈskɹɛsəns/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “excrescence” sits in English frequency

excrescence 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

excrescence is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɛkˈskɹɛsəns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for excrescence in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English, early 15th century, in sense “(action of) growing out (of something else)”. Borrowed from Latin excrescentia (“abnormal growths”), from excrescentem, from excrēscere, from ex- (“out”) (English ex-) + crēscere (“to grow”) (English cresce… The correct English form is excrescence, spelled E-X-C-R-E-S-C-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something, usually abnormal, which grows out of something else.
  2. 2
    A disfiguring or unwanted mark or adjunct.
  3. 3
    The epenthesis of a consonant, e.g., warmth as [ˈwɔrmpθ] (adding a [p] between [m] and [θ]), or -t (Etymology 2).

Etymology

From Middle English, early 15th century, in sense “(action of) growing out (of something else)”. Borrowed from Latin excrescentia (“abnormal growths”), from excrescentem, from excrēscere, from ex- (“out”) (English ex-) + crēscere (“to grow”) (English crescent). Sense of “abnormal growth” from 1570s, from earlier excrescency (1540s in this sense).

This word in other languages

excrecencia(Español)excès(Français)excrescência(Português)

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 "excrescence"?
"excrescence" is spelled E-X-C-R-E-S-C-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛkˈskɹɛsəns/.
What does "excrescence" mean?
As a noun, "excrescence" means: Something, usually abnormal, which grows out of something else.
How do you pronounce "excrescence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "excrescence" is /ɛkˈskɹɛsəns/. 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 "excrescence"?
From Middle English, early 15th century, in sense “(action of) growing out (of something else)”. Borrowed from Latin excrescentia (“abnormal growths”), from excrescentem, from excrēscere, from ex- (“out”) (English ex-) + crēscere (“to grow”) (Engl... 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 “excrescence”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-X-C-R-E-S-C-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɛkˈskɹɛsəns/ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list