exorcise
/ˈɛk.sɔː.saɪz/
"exorcise" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“exorcise” is uncommon English (frequency #58,675 among 18,836 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #58,675
- frequency rank, English
- 18,836
- “E” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To drive out (an evil spirit) from a person, place or thing, especially by an incantation or prayer.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | exorcise |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈɛk.sɔː.saɪz/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #58,675 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “exorcise” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
exorcise is uncommon English at frequency #58,675 among 18,836 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɛk.sɔː.saɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for exorcise in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English exorcisen, exorzisen, from Medieval Latin exorcizō, from Ancient Greek ἐξορκίζω (exorkízō, “to banish an evil spirit; bind by oath”), from ἐξ (ex) + ὅρκος (hórkos). Compare Old French exorciser. The correct English form is exorcise, spelled E-X-O-R-C-I-S-E.
Definition
- 1To drive out (an evil spirit) from a person, place or thing, especially by an incantation or prayer.
- 2To rid (a person, place or thing) of an evil spirit.
Etymology
From Middle English exorcisen, exorzisen, from Medieval Latin exorcizō, from Ancient Greek ἐξορκίζω (exorkízō, “to banish an evil spirit; bind by oath”), from ἐξ (ex) + ὅρκος (hórkos). Compare Old French exorciser.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “exorcise”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-X-O-R-C-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɛk.sɔː.saɪz/ (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
Other uncommon English words near this rank
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.