exonerate

/ɪɡˈzɒnəɹeɪt/

//ɪɡˈzɒnəɹeɪt// verb

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

"exonerate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exonerate” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,451. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,451
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To relieve (someone or something) of a load; to unburden (a load).

Corpus desk

Index EN-exonerate · exonerate · English

exonerate · rank #46,451 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #46,451
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Evangelion

Nearest frequency peer: Evangelion (-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 “exonerate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exonerate” 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).

exonerate vs exonerated
90% similar

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

Key facts for exonerate
PropertyValue
Headwordexonerate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪɡˈzɒnəɹeɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#46,451
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exonerate”

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).exoneratelands 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 “Evangelion” (#46,450), “expediency” (#46,452), “etiology” (#46,449). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exonerate” is #46,451. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around exonerate (IPA /ɪɡˈzɒnəɹeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #46,451 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for exonerate, with forms such as "eoxnerate", "exnoerate", and "exoenrate". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "exonerated", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English exoneraten (attested in past participle exonerated), from Latin exonerātus, past perfect participle of exonerō (“to discharge, unload; to exonerate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Exonerō is from ex- (“out, from”) + onerō (“to burden,… The correct English form is exonerate, spelled E-X-O-N-E-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To relieve (someone or something) of a load; to unburden (a load).
  2. 2
    Of a body of water: to discharge or empty (itself).
  3. 3
    To free (someone) from an obligation, responsibility or task.
  4. 4
    To free (someone) from accusation or blame.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. I would examine the Caſpian Sea, and ſee where and how it exonerates it ſelfe, after it hath taken in Volga, Iaxares, Oxus, and thoſe great rivers; at the mouth of Oby, or where?

Etymology

From Middle English exoneraten (attested in past participle exonerated), from Latin exonerātus, past perfect participle of exonerō (“to discharge, unload; to exonerate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Exonerō is from ex- (“out, from”) + onerō (“to burden, lade; to load”) further from onus (oner-) (“a burden, load”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃énh₂os (“burden, load”), from *h₃enh₂- (“to charge, onerate”). Compare French exonérer.

This word in other languages

exonerar(Español)exonérer(Français)erleichtern(Deutsch)aliviar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eoxnerate
  • exnoerate
  • exoenrate
  • exonearte
  • exoneraet
  • exoneratte
  • exonerrate
  • exonertae
  • exonnerate
  • exonreate
  • exxonerate
  • xeonerate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eoxnerate2exnoerate2exoenrate2exonearte2exoneraet2exoneratte1exonerrate1exonertae2
Edit distance from "exonerate"

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 "exonerate"?
"exonerate" is spelled E-X-O-N-E-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪɡˈzɒnəɹeɪt/.
What does "exonerate" mean?
As a verb, "exonerate" means: To relieve (someone or something) of a load; to unburden (a load).
What words are commonly confused with "exonerate"?
"exonerate" is commonly confused with "exonerated". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exonerate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exonerate" is /ɪɡˈzɒnəɹeɪt/. 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 "exonerate"?
From Middle English exoneraten (attested in past participle exonerated), from Latin exonerātus, past perfect participle of exonerō (“to discharge, unload; to exonerate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Exonerō is from ex- (“out, from”) + onerō (“... 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 "exonerate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

fertilize#46,461fittingly#46,464foreshore#46,468Gascoigne#46,477

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

encircle12 variantsfruiting12 variantsdismount12 variantsDagestan12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list