exemplar

/ɛɡˈzɛm.plə/

//ɛɡˈzɛm.plə// noun

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

"exemplar" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exemplar” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,631. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,631
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Something fit to be imitated; an ideal, a worthy model or role model: a desirable example.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exemplar · exemplar · English

exemplar · rank #42,631 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #42,631
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH espouse

Nearest frequency peer: espouse (-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 “exemplar”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exemplar” 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).

exemplar vs exemplary
89% similar

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

Key facts for exemplar
PropertyValue
Headwordexemplar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɛɡˈzɛm.plə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#42,631
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exemplar”

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).exemplarlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “espouse” (#42,630), “extender” (#42,632), “extramarital” (#42,633). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exemplar” is #42,631. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around exemplar (IPA /ɛɡˈzɛm.plə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,631 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    Something fit to be imitated; an ideal, a worthy model or role model: a desirable example.
  2. 2
    Something typical or representative; an example that typifies its class.
  3. 3
    A pattern after which others should be made; an archetype.
  4. 4
    A well-known use of a scientific theory.
  5. 5
    A manuscript used by a scribe to make a handwritten copy; the original document to be reproduced in a copy machine.
  6. 6
    A copy of a book or piece of writing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A ray of light amid all this nonsense was Gwyn Topham's piece in the Guardian, which was timely, measured, accurate and of appropriate tone. That this single report stood out so clearly as an exemplar is a scathing comment in itself on the volumes of drivel surrounding it.
  2. To amend the same [default] according to the true exemplars.

Etymology

From Latin exemplar, from Latin exemplum (“example”). Doublet of exemplary.

Synonyms

archetypebyspelcasecase in pointembodimentepitomeeponymexemplarexemplificationexampleexemplificatorExhibit Aillustrationincarnationinstanceparadigmprototypequintessencerepresentativesamplespecimensymbolur-type

This word in other languages

ejemplar(Español)exemple(Français)Vorbild(Deutsch)

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.

eexmplar2exemlpar2exemmplar1exempalr2exemplarr1exempllar1exemplra2exempplar1
Edit distance from "exemplar"

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"?
"exemplar" is spelled E-X-E-M-P-L-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛɡˈzɛm.plə/.
What does "exemplar" mean?
As a noun, "exemplar" means: Something fit to be imitated; an ideal, a worthy model or role model: a desirable example.
What words are commonly confused with "exemplar"?
"exemplar" is commonly confused with "exemplary". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exemplar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exemplar" is /ɛɡˈzɛm.plə/. 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 "exemplar"?
From Latin exemplar, from Latin exemplum (“example”). Doublet of exemplary. 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 "exemplar", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

extender#42,632enormity#42,628fandango#42,634frenetic#42,654

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

gangrene12 variantsdecrypt12 variantsGottfried12 variantscausative12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list