exes

/ˈɛksəz/

//ˈɛksəz// noun

"exes" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exes” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,415 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#26,415
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - plural of ex

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

exes vs eye
50% similar
exes vs eyes
75% similar
exes vs exit
50% similar

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

Key facts for exes
PropertyValue
Headwordexes
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛksəz/
Letters4
Frequency rank#26,415
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “exes” 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). exes 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 exes is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛksəz/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,415 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "plural of ex".

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for exes, with forms such as "eexs", "exess", and "exse". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "eye", "eyes", "exit", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is exes, spelled E-X-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    plural of ex

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eexs,exess,exse,exxes,xees

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eexs2exess1exse2exxes1xees2
Edit distance from "exes"

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 "exes"?
"exes" is spelled E-X-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛksəz/.
What does "exes" mean?
As a noun, "exes" means: plural of ex
What words are commonly confused with "exes"?
"exes" is commonly confused with "eye", "eyes", "exit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exes"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exes" is /ˈɛksəz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "exes" come from?
"exes" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “exes”

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

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