exhortation

/ˌɛɡzɔːˈteɪʃən/

//ˌɛɡzɔːˈteɪʃən// noun

"exhortation" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exhortation” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #48,227 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#48,227
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act or practice of exhorting.

Key facts for exhortation
PropertyValue
Headwordexhortation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɛɡzɔːˈteɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#48,227
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “exhortation” 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). exhortation 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 exhortation is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɛɡzɔːˈteɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #48,227 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for exhortation, with forms such as "ehxortation", "exhhortation", and "exhorattion". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English exhortacioun, from Old French exhortacion, from Latin exhortātiōnem, accusative singular of exhortātiō (“encouraging; exhortation”), from exhortor (“to encourage, exhort”), from ex (“out of, from”) + hortor (“encourage”). By surface anal… The correct English form is exhortation, spelled E-X-H-O-R-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or practice of exhorting.
  2. 2
    Language intended to give advice or to urge or encourage.

Etymology

From Middle English exhortacioun, from Old French exhortacion, from Latin exhortātiōnem, accusative singular of exhortātiō (“encouraging; exhortation”), from exhortor (“to encourage, exhort”), from ex (“out of, from”) + hortor (“encourage”). By surface analysis, exhort + -ation.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehxortation,exhhortation,exhorattion,exhorrtation,exhortaiton,exhortasion,exhortatino,exhortationn,exhortatoin,exhortattion,exhorttaion,exhorttation,exhotration,exhrotation,exohrtation,exxhortation,xehortation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ehxortation2exhhortation1exhorattion2exhorrtation1exhortaiton2exhortasion1exhortatino2exhortationn1
Edit distance from "exhortation"

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 "exhortation"?
"exhortation" is spelled E-X-H-O-R-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɛɡzɔːˈteɪʃən/.
What does "exhortation" mean?
As a noun, "exhortation" means: The act or practice of exhorting.
What are common misspellings of "exhortation"?
Common misspellings include "ehxortation", "exhhortation", "exhorattion", "exhorrtation", "exhortaiton". The correct spelling is "exhortation".
How do you pronounce "exhortation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exhortation" is /ˌɛɡzɔːˈteɪʃən/. 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 "exhortation"?
From Middle English exhortacioun, from Old French exhortacion, from Latin exhortātiōnem, accusative singular of exhortātiō (“encouraging; exhortation”), from exhortor (“to encourage, exhort”), from ex (“out of, from”) + hortor (“encourage”). By su... 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 “exhortation”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-X-H-O-R-T-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɛɡzɔːˈteɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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