exemplar
/ɛɡˈzɛm.plə/
"exemplar" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“exemplar” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #42,631 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #42,631
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 12
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Something fit to be imitated; an ideal, a worthy model or role model: a desirable example.
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 | exemplar |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ɛɡˈzɛm.plə/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #42,631 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “exemplar” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for exemplar is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɛɡˈzɛm.plə/. Corpus data places it at rank #42,631 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for exemplar, with forms such as "eexmplar", "exemlpar", and "exemmplar". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "exemplary", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin exemplar, from Latin exemplum (“example”). Doublet of exemplary. The correct English form is exemplar, spelled E-X-E-M-P-L-A-R.
Definition
- 1Something fit to be imitated; an ideal, a worthy model or role model: a desirable example.
- 2Something typical or representative; an example that typifies its class.
- 3A pattern after which others should be made; an archetype.
- 4A well-known use of a scientific theory.
- 5A manuscript used by a scribe to make a handwritten copy; the original document to be reproduced in a copy machine.
- 6A copy of a book or piece of writing.
Etymology
From Latin exemplar, from Latin exemplum (“example”). Doublet of exemplary.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: eexmplar,exemlpar,exemmplar,exempalr,exemplarr,exempllar,exemplra,exempplar,exepmlar,exmeplar,exxemplar,xeemplar
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of exemplar - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 "exemplar"?
What does "exemplar" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "exemplar"?
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Using “exemplar”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-X-E-M-P-L-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɛɡˈzɛm.plə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “exemplary” - see the side-by-side comparison. exemplar vs exemplary
- 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.