expire

/ɪkˈspaɪə(ɹ)/

//ɪkˈspaɪə(ɹ)// verb

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

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

The verdict

“expire” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,121 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#14,121
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To die.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

expire vs export
67% similar
expire vs expiry
83% similar
expire vs exposé
50% similar

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

Key facts for expire
PropertyValue
Headwordexpire
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪkˈspaɪə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#14,121
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “expire” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). expire lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for expire is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪkˈspaɪə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,121 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for expire, with forms such as "epxire", "exipre", and "expier". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "export", "expiry", "exposé", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English expire, from Middle French expirer, from Latin expīrō, exspīrō, from ex- (“out”) + spīrō (“breathe, be alive”). The correct English form is expire, spelled E-X-P-I-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To die.
  2. 2
    To lapse and become invalid.
  3. 3
    To come to an end; to conclude.
  4. 4
    To exhale; to breathe out.
  5. 5
    To give forth insensibly or gently, as a fluid or vapour; to emit in minute particles.
  6. 6
    To bring to a close; to terminate.
  7. 7
    To cause to lapse; to invalidate.

Etymology

From Middle English expire, from Middle French expirer, from Latin expīrō, exspīrō, from ex- (“out”) + spīrō (“breathe, be alive”).

This word in other languages

vencer(Español)expirer(Français)ablaufen(Deutsch)vencer(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epxire,exipre,expier,expirre,exppire,exprie,exxpire,xepire

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epxire2exipre2expier2expirre1exppire1exprie2exxpire1xepire2
Edit distance from "expire"

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 "expire"?
"expire" is spelled E-X-P-I-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈspaɪə(ɹ)/.
What does "expire" mean?
As a verb, "expire" means: To die.
What words are commonly confused with "expire"?
"expire" is commonly confused with "export", "expiry", "exposé". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "expire"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "expire" is /ɪkˈspaɪə(ɹ)/. 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 "expire"?
From Middle English expire, from Middle French expirer, from Latin expīrō, exspīrō, from ex- (“out”) + spīrō (“breathe, be alive”). 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.

Using “expire”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is E-X-P-I-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪkˈspaɪə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “export” - see the side-by-side comparison. expire vs export
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list