expel

/ɪkˈspɛl/

//ɪkˈspɛl// verb

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

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

The verdict

“expel” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,631. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,631
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To eject.

Corpus desk

Index EN-expel · expel · English

expel · rank #20,631 · 7 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,631
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH excise

Nearest frequency peer: excise (-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 “expel”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “expel” 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).

expel vs expo
60% similar
expel vs expert
67% similar
expel vs expend
67% similar

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

Key facts for expel
PropertyValue
Headwordexpel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪkˈspɛl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#20,631
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “expel”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).expellands 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 “excise” (#20,630), “Ewing” (#20,629), “eternally” (#20,628). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “expel” is #20,631. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around expel (IPA /ɪkˈspɛl/), averb. Corpus frequency is #20,631 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for expel, with forms such as "epxel", "exepl", and "expell". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "expo", "expert", "expend", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Late Middle English: from Latin expellere, from ex- (“out”) + pellere (“to drive”). The correct English form is expel, spelled E-X-P-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To eject.
  2. 2
    To fire (a bullet, arrow etc.).
  3. 3
    To remove from membership.
  4. 4
    To deport.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But to the ground the idle quarrell fell: / Then he another and another did expell.
  2. He was expelled from school multiple times for disruptive behaviour.

Etymology

Late Middle English: from Latin expellere, from ex- (“out”) + pellere (“to drive”).

Synonyms

fordriveturf out

Antonyms

impel

This word in other languages

expulsar(Español)expulser(Français)verjagen(Deutsch)expelir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epxel
  • exepl
  • expell
  • exple
  • exppel
  • exxpel
  • xepel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epxel2exepl2expell1exple2exppel1exxpel1xepel2
Edit distance from "expel"

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 "expel"?
"expel" is spelled E-X-P-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈspɛl/.
What does "expel" mean?
As a verb, "expel" means: To eject.
What words are commonly confused with "expel"?
"expel" is commonly confused with "expo", "expert", "expend". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "expel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "expel" is /ɪkˈspɛl/. 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 "expel"?
Late Middle English: from Latin expellere, from ex- (“out”) + pellere (“to drive”). 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 "expel", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Ewing#20,629fitch#20,636Elise#20,623frown#20,641

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Dolan7 variantsgroin7 variantshelix7 variantshover7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list