exo-

/ɛksoʊ-/

//ɛksoʊ-// prefix

"exo" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exo-” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a prefix. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - outside; external

Corpus desk

Index EN-exo · exo- · English

exo- · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for exo-
PropertyValue
Headwordexo-
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrefix
IPA/ɛksoʊ-/
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “exo-” in English

exo-ranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

exo- is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprefix, transcribed /ɛksoʊ-/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

exo- doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek ἔξω (éxō, “outer; external”). The correct English form is exo-, spelled E-X-O--.

Definition

  1. 1
    outside; external
  2. 2
    outside; external

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. exo- + planet → exoplanet
  2. exo- + biology → exobiology

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἔξω (éxō, “outer; external”).

Synonyms

Antonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "exo-"?
"exo-" is spelled E-X-O--. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛksoʊ-/.
What does "exo-" mean?
As a prefix, "exo-" means: outside; external
How do you pronounce "exo-"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exo-" is /ɛksoʊ-/. 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 "exo-"?
From Ancient Greek ἔξω (éxō, “outer; external”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list