exemplary

/ɪɡˈzɛmpləɹi/

//ɪɡˈzɛmpləɹi// adj

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

"exemplary" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exemplary” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,610. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,610
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Deserving honour, respect and admiration.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exemplary · exemplary · English

exemplary · rank #17,610 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,610
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH encoding

Nearest frequency peer: encoding (-2 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 “exemplary”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exemplary” 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).

exemplary vs exemplify
78% similar
exemplary vs exemplar
89% similar

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

Key facts for exemplary
PropertyValue
Headwordexemplary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪɡˈzɛmpləɹi/
Letters9
Frequency rank#17,610
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exemplary”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).exemplarylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “encoding” (#17,608), “expansive” (#17,612), “fife” (#17,613). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exemplary” is #17,610. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around exemplary (IPA /ɪɡˈzɛmpləɹi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #17,610 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for exemplary, with forms such as "eexmplary", "exemlpary", and "exemmplary". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "exemplify", "exemplar", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French exemplaire (“exemplary; a copy, facsimile; an example; a sample, specimen”), from Latin exemplāris (“exemplary; a copy, facsimile”), from exemplum (“an example; a sample; a copy or transcript”). By surface analysis, example + -ary. Double… The correct English form is exemplary, spelled E-X-E-M-P-L-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Deserving honour, respect and admiration.
  2. 2
    Of such high quality that it should serve as an example to be imitated; ideal, perfect.
  3. 3
    Serving as a warning; monitory.
  4. 4
    Providing an example or illustration.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. To answer these questions we must look more closely at the exemplary achievements of [David] Politzer, [David] Gross and [Frank] Wilcek. Here we will see the severe problems facing theorists in both the theoretical and phenomenological exploitation of QCD [quantum chromodynamics].
  2. Her behaviour was always exemplary.

Etymology

From Middle French exemplaire (“exemplary; a copy, facsimile; an example; a sample, specimen”), from Latin exemplāris (“exemplary; a copy, facsimile”), from exemplum (“an example; a sample; a copy or transcript”). By surface analysis, example + -ary. Doublet of exemplar. First use as a noun appears c. 1425, as an adjective, c. 1507.

Synonyms

exemplaradmonitory

This word in other languages

ejemplarizante(Español)exemplaire(Français)vorbildlich(Deutsch)exemplar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eexmplary
  • exemlpary
  • exemmplary
  • exempalry
  • exemplarry
  • exemplaryy
  • exemplayr
  • exempllary
  • exemplray
  • exempplary
  • exepmlary
  • exmeplary
  • exxemplary
  • xeemplary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of exemplary - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

eexmplary2exemlpary2exemmplary1exempalry2exemplarry1exemplaryy1exemplayr2exempllary1
Edit distance from "exemplary"

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 "exemplary"?
"exemplary" is spelled E-X-E-M-P-L-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪɡˈzɛmpləɹi/.
What does "exemplary" mean?
As an adjective, "exemplary" means: Deserving honour, respect and admiration.
What words are commonly confused with "exemplary"?
"exemplary" is commonly confused with "exemplify", "exemplar". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exemplary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exemplary" is /ɪɡˈzɛmpləɹi/. 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 "exemplary"?
From Middle French exemplaire (“exemplary; a copy, facsimile; an example; a sample, specimen”), from Latin exemplāris (“exemplary; a copy, facsimile”), from exemplum (“an example; a sample; a copy or transcript”). By surface analysis, example + -a... 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 "exemplary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

expansive#17,612elemental#17,605electrode#17,604downright#17,600

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

Doncaster14 variantsdivergent14 variantscompressor14 variantsinscribed14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list