exhaust

/ɪɡˈzɔːst/

//ɪɡˈzɔːst// verb

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

"exhaust" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exhaust” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,467. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,467
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To draw or let out wholly; to drain completely.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exhaust · exhaust · English

exhaust · rank #9,467 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,467
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH enjoyment

Nearest frequency peer: enjoyment (-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 “exhaust”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exhaust” 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).

exhaust vs exhausts
88% similar
exhaust vs exhausted
78% similar

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

Key facts for exhaust
PropertyValue
Headwordexhaust
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪɡˈzɔːst/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,467
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exhaust”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).exhaustlands 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 “enjoyment” (#9,466), “elephants” (#9,465), “flee” (#9,469). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exhaust” is #9,467. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around exhaust (IPA /ɪɡˈzɔːst/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,467 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for exhaust, with forms such as "ehxaust", "exahust", and "exhasut". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "exhausts", "exhausted", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin exhaustus, past participle of exhaurīre (“to draw out, drink up, empty, exhaust”), from ex (“out”) + haurīre (“to draw (especially water), drain”). The correct English form is exhaust, spelled E-X-H-A-U-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To draw or let out wholly; to drain completely.
  2. 2
    To empty by drawing or letting out the contents.
  3. 3
    To use up; to deplete, drain or expend wholly, or use until the supply comes to an end.
  4. 4
    To tire out; to wear out; to cause to be without any energy.
  5. 5
    To discuss thoroughly or completely.
  6. 6
    To subject to the action of various solvents in order to remove all soluble substances or extractives.
  7. 7
    To expel (as exhaust).
  8. 8
    To discharge or escape (as exhaust).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The water was exhausted out of the well.
  2. Moisture of the earth is exhausted by evaporation.

Etymology

From Latin exhaustus, past participle of exhaurīre (“to draw out, drink up, empty, exhaust”), from ex (“out”) + haurīre (“to draw (especially water), drain”).

Synonyms

spendconsumetire outwearytucker

This word in other languages

agotar(Español)épuiser(Français)erschöpfen(Deutsch)esvaziar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ehxaust
  • exahust
  • exhasut
  • exhausst
  • exhaustt
  • exhauts
  • exhhaust
  • exhuast
  • exxhaust
  • xehaust

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of exhaust - 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.

ehxaust2exahust2exhasut2exhausst1exhaustt1exhauts2exhhaust1exhuast2
Edit distance from "exhaust"

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 "exhaust"?
"exhaust" is spelled E-X-H-A-U-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪɡˈzɔːst/.
What does "exhaust" mean?
As a verb, "exhaust" means: To draw or let out wholly; to drain completely.
What words are commonly confused with "exhaust"?
"exhaust" is commonly confused with "exhausts", "exhausted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exhaust"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exhaust" is /ɪɡˈzɔːst/. 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 "exhaust"?
From Latin exhaustus, past participle of exhaurīre (“to draw out, drink up, empty, exhaust”), from ex (“out”) + haurīre (“to draw (especially water), drain”). 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 "exhaust", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Eleanor#9,464eclipse#9,462glimpse#9,475dioxide#9,457

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

insulin10 variantsbricks10 variantsnarrator10 variantsobesity10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list