exercise

/ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/

//ˈɛk.sə.saɪz// noun

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

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

The verdict

“exercise” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,109 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,109
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

exercise vs exorcist
75% similar
exercise vs exorcism
75% similar
exercise vs exercises
89% similar

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

Key facts for exercise
PropertyValue
Headwordexercise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,109
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “exercise” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for exercise is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,109 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for exercise, with forms such as "eexrcise", "execrise", and "exerccise". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "exorcist", "exorcism", "exercises", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English exercise, from Old French exercise, from Latin exercitium. The correct English form is exercise, spelled E-X-E-R-C-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.
  2. 2
    Activity intended to improve physical, or sometimes mental, strength and fitness.
  3. 3
    A setting in action or practicing; employment in the proper mode of activity; exertion; application; use.
  4. 4
    The performance of an office, ceremony, or duty.
  5. 5
    That which gives practice; a trial; a test.

Etymology

From Middle English exercise, from Old French exercise, from Latin exercitium.

This word in other languages

ejercicio(Español)exercice(Français)Übung(Deutsch)exercício(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eexrcise,execrise,exerccise,exercies,exercisse,exercsie,exericse,exerrcise,exrecise,exxercise,xeercise

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eexrcise2execrise2exerccise1exercies2exercisse1exercsie2exericse2exerrcise1
Edit distance from "exercise"

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 "exercise"?
"exercise" is spelled E-X-E-R-C-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/.
What does "exercise" mean?
As a noun, "exercise" means: Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.
What words are commonly confused with "exercise"?
"exercise" is commonly confused with "exorcist", "exorcism", "exercises". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exercise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exercise" is /ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/. 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 "exercise"?
From Middle English exercise, from Old French exercise, from Latin exercitium. 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 “exercise”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-X-E-R-C-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “exorcist” - see the side-by-side comparison. exercise vs exorcist
  • 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