expect

/ɪkˈspɛkt/

//ɪkˈspɛkt// verb

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

"expect" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“expect” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,050. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,050
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To predict or believe that something will happen

Corpus desk

Index EN-expect · expect · English

expect · rank #1,050 · 9 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,050
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH double

Nearest frequency peer: double (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “expect”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “expect” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

expect vs expel
67% similar
expect vs expert
83% similar
expect vs extent
67% similar

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

Key facts for expect
PropertyValue
Headwordexpect
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪkˈspɛkt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,050
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “expect” sits in English frequency

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).expectlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “double” (#1,049), “gas” (#1,051), “difference” (#1,048). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around expect (IPA /ɪkˈspɛkt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,050 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for expect, with forms such as "epxect", "exepct", and "expcet". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "expel", "expert", "extent", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin expectāre, infinitive form of exspectō (“look out for, await, expect”), from ex (“out”) + spectō (“look at”), frequentative of speciō (“see”). The correct English form is expect, spelled E-X-P-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To predict or believe that something will happen
  2. 2
    To consider obligatory or required.
  3. 3
    To consider reasonably due.
  4. 4
    To be pregnant, to consider a baby due.
  5. 5
    To wait for; to await.
  6. 6
    To wait; to stay.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. when you least expect it
  2. I expect to be able to walk again after getting over my broken leg.

Etymology

From Latin expectāre, infinitive form of exspectō (“look out for, await, expect”), from ex (“out”) + spectō (“look at”), frequentative of speciō (“see”).

This word in other languages

esperar(Español)attendre(Français)erwarten(Deutsch)esperar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epxect
  • exepct
  • expcet
  • expecct
  • expectt
  • expetc
  • exppect
  • exxpect
  • xepect

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epxect2exepct2expcet2expecct1expectt1expetc2exppect1exxpect1
Edit distance from "expect"

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 "expect"?
"expect" is spelled E-X-P-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈspɛkt/.
What does "expect" mean?
As a verb, "expect" means: To predict or believe that something will happen
What words are commonly confused with "expect"?
"expect" is commonly confused with "expel", "expert", "extent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "expect"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "expect" is /ɪkˈspɛkt/. 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 "expect"?
From Latin expectāre, infinitive form of exspectō (“look out for, await, expect”), from ex (“out”) + spectō (“look at”), frequentative of speciō (“see”). 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 "expect", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

double#1,049island#1,052normal#1,054weight#1,036

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

committee9 variantscredit9 variantsmoving9 variantsexcept9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "expect". Here's where to go from here.

  • "expect" maps to 16 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "expel". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,050 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "E" letter cohort. E–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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