explicit

/ɪkˈsplɪs.ɪt/

//ɪkˈsplɪs.ɪt// adj

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

"explicit" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“explicit” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,560. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,560
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Very specific, clear, or detailed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-explicit · explicit · English

explicit · rank #7,560 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,560
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH enforce

Nearest frequency peer: enforce (-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 “explicit”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “explicit” 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).

explicit vs exploit
75% similar
explicit vs explicitly
80% similar
explicit vs elicit
75% similar

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

Key facts for explicit
PropertyValue
Headwordexplicit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪkˈsplɪs.ɪt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#7,560
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “explicit”

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).explicitlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “enforce” (#7,559), “explicitly” (#7,561), “employ” (#7,558). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “explicit” is #7,560. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around explicit (IPA /ɪkˈsplɪs.ɪt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #7,560 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for explicit, with forms such as "epxlicit", "exlpicit", and "expilcit". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "exploit", "explicitly", "elicit", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French explicite, from Latin explicitus (“disentangled, easy”), variant of explicātus. The correct English form is explicit, spelled E-X-P-L-I-C-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Very specific, clear, or detailed.
  2. 2
    Containing material (e.g. language or film footage) that might be deemed offensive or graphic through clear and direct expressions.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I gave explicit instructions for him to stay here, but he followed me, anyway.
  2. If the task is indeed a difficult one, it may be worthwhile to attempt an explicit statement as to those aspects of the endeavor that appear to have the greatest importance for success or failure.

Etymology

Borrowed from French explicite, from Latin explicitus (“disentangled, easy”), variant of explicātus.

Synonyms

cleardirectexplicitexpressmonosemicmonosemouspatentplainspecificunambiguousunequivocalunivocal

Antonyms

ambiguousequivocalimplicitimpliedpolysemouspolysemicunexplicitvague

This word in other languages

explícito(Español)explicite(Français)eindeutig(Deutsch)explícito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epxlicit
  • exlpicit
  • expilcit
  • explciit
  • expliccit
  • explicitt
  • explicti
  • expliict
  • expllicit
  • expplicit
  • exxplicit
  • xeplicit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epxlicit2exlpicit2expilcit2explciit2expliccit1explicitt1explicti2expliict2
Edit distance from "explicit"

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 "explicit"?
"explicit" is spelled E-X-P-L-I-C-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈsplɪs.ɪt/.
What does "explicit" mean?
As an adjective, "explicit" means: Very specific, clear, or detailed.
What words are commonly confused with "explicit"?
"explicit" is commonly confused with "exploit", "explicitly", "elicit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "explicit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "explicit" is /ɪkˈsplɪs.ɪt/. 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 "explicit"?
Borrowed from French explicite, from Latin explicitus (“disentangled, easy”), variant of explicātus. 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 "explicit", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Florence#7,563disputes#7,556defining#7,554fraction#7,566

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

forbidden12 variantsintegral12 variantsinvestor12 variantscountless12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list