exile

/ˈɛɡˌzaɪl/

//ˈɛɡˌzaɪl// noun

"exile" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exile” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,042. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,042
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The state of being banished from one's home or country.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exile · exile · English

exile · rank #9,042 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,042
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH exploitation

Nearest frequency peer: exploitation (+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 “exile”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exile” 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).

exile vs exit
60% similar
exile vs exist
60% similar
exile vs expire
67% similar

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

Key facts for exile
PropertyValue
Headwordexile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛɡˌzaɪl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#9,042
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exile”

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).exilelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “exploitation” (#9,043), “envy” (#9,040), “Felix” (#9,044). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exile” is #9,042. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around exile (IPA /ˈɛɡˌzaɪl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,042 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for exile, with forms such as "eixle", "exiel", and "exille". 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, "exit", "exist", "expire", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English exil, borrowed from Old French essil, exil, from Latin exsilium, exilium (“state of exile”), derived from exsul, exul (“exiled person”). The correct English form is exile, spelled E-X-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being banished from one's home or country.
  2. 2
    Someone who is banished from his home or country.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He lived in exile.
  2. They chose exile rather than assimilation.

Etymology

From Middle English exil, borrowed from Old French essil, exil, from Latin exsilium, exilium (“state of exile”), derived from exsul, exul (“exiled person”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eixle
  • exiel
  • exille
  • exlie
  • exxile
  • xeile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eixle2exiel2exille1exlie2exxile1xeile2
Edit distance from "exile"

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 "exile"?
"exile" is spelled E-X-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛɡˌzaɪl/.
What does "exile" mean?
As a noun, "exile" means: The state of being banished from one's home or country.
What words are commonly confused with "exile"?
"exile" is commonly confused with "exit", "exist", "expire". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exile" is /ˈɛɡˌzaɪl/. 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 "exile"?
From Middle English exil, borrowed from Old French essil, exil, from Latin exsilium, exilium (“state of exile”), derived from exsul, exul (“exiled person”). 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 "exile", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list