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” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,121. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,121
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-expire · expire · English

expire · rank #14,121 · 8 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,121
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH fireplace

Nearest frequency peer: fireplace (+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 “expire”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “expire” 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).

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “expire”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “fireplace” (#14,122), “ethic” (#14,119), “flair” (#14,123). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “expire” is #14,121. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around expire (IPA /ɪkˈspaɪə(ɹ)/), averb. Corpus frequency is #14,121 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The patient expired in hospital.
  2. And then, his head ſinking on his pillow, he expired; at about half an hour after ten.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "expire", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Elijah#14,113Hanson#14,130Hayden#14,132dipped#14,107

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

dryer8 variantsHussein8 variantshyped8 variantsinmate8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list