explode

/ɪkˈspləʊd/

//ɪkˈspləʊd// verb

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

"explode" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“explode” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,605. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,605
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To fly apart with sudden violent force; to blow up, to burst, to detonate, to go off.

Corpus desk

Index EN-explode · explode · English

explode · rank #9,605 · 10 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,605
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH evolve

Nearest frequency peer: evolve (-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 “explode”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “explode” 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).

explode vs exposé
57% similar
explode vs explore
86% similar
explode vs exploit
71% similar

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

Key facts for explode
PropertyValue
Headwordexplode
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪkˈspləʊd/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,605
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “explode”

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).explodelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “evolve” (#9,604), “extraction” (#9,606), “Eugene” (#9,603). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “explode” is #9,605. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around explode (IPA /ɪkˈspləʊd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,605 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for explode, with forms such as "epxlode", "exlpode", and "expldoe". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "exposé", "explore", "exploit", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First recorded around 1538, from the Latin verb explōdere (“drive out or off by clapping”). The meaning was originally theatrical, "to drive an actor off the stage by making noise," hence meaning to "to drive out" or "to reject". From ex- (“out”) + plaudere… The correct English form is explode, spelled E-X-P-L-O-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To fly apart with sudden violent force; to blow up, to burst, to detonate, to go off.
  2. 2
    To destroy with an explosion.
  3. 3
    To make a violent or emotional outburst; to suddenly give expression to powerful and often negative or unpleasant emotion, especially anger.
  4. 4
    To increase suddenly.
  5. 5
    To increase arbitrarily or boundlessly.
  6. 6
    To destroy violently or abruptly.
  7. 7
    To create an exploded view of.
  8. 8
    To disprove or debunk.
  9. 9
    To emerge suddenly.
  10. 10
    To ejaculate.
  11. 11
    To break (a delimited string of text) into several smaller strings by removing the separators.
  12. 12
    To decompress (data) that was previously imploded.
  13. 13
    To open all doors and hatches on an automobile.
  14. 14
    Of a die, to produce the highest face result and consequently reroll.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The bomb explodes.
  2. But signalman Bridges was never to answer driver Gimbert's desperate question. A deafening, massive blast blew the wagon to shreds, the 44 high-explosive bombs exploding like simultaneous hits from the aircraft they should have been dropped from. The station was instantly reduced to bits of debris, and the line to a huge crater.

Etymology

First recorded around 1538, from the Latin verb explōdere (“drive out or off by clapping”). The meaning was originally theatrical, "to drive an actor off the stage by making noise," hence meaning to "to drive out" or "to reject". From ex- (“out”) + plaudere (“to clap; to applaud”). In English it used to mean to "drive out with violence and sudden noise" (from around 1660), and later meaning to "go off with a loud noise" (from around 1790). The sense of "bursting with destructive force" is first recorded around 1882.

Synonyms

asplodeblastblowblow upburstdetonatedisplodedynamiteexplodefulminatego offlet offnukeriveset off

Antonyms

implode

This word in other languages

explosionar(Español)exploser(Français)sprengen(Deutsch)explodir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epxlode
  • exlpode
  • expldoe
  • expllode
  • explodde
  • exploed
  • expolde
  • expplode
  • exxplode
  • xeplode

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of explode - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

epxlode2exlpode2expldoe2expllode1explodde1exploed2expolde2expplode1
Edit distance from "explode"

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 "explode"?
"explode" is spelled E-X-P-L-O-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈspləʊd/.
What does "explode" mean?
As a verb, "explode" means: To fly apart with sudden violent force; to blow up, to burst, to detonate, to go off.
What words are commonly confused with "explode"?
"explode" is commonly confused with "exposé", "explore", "exploit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "explode"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "explode" is /ɪkˈspləʊd/. 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 "explode"?
First recorded around 1538, from the Latin verb explōdere (“drive out or off by clapping”). The meaning was originally theatrical, "to drive an actor off the stage by making noise," hence meaning to "to drive out" or "to reject". From ex- (“out”) ... 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 "explode", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

grandpa#9,614luggage#9,624cavalry#9,580Carroll#9,579

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

filthy10 variantsaligned10 variantsweighed10 variantsundergo10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list