expound

/ɪkˈspaʊnd/

//ɪkˈspaʊnd// verb

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

The verdict

“expound” is uncommon English (frequency #53,532 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,532
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To set out the meaning of; to explain or discuss at length.

Corpus desk

Index EN-expound · expound · English

expound · rank #53,532 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,532
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH fashionably

Nearest frequency peer: fashionably (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “expound”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “expound” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for expound
PropertyValue
Headwordexpound
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪkˈspaʊnd/
Letters7
Frequency rank#53,532
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “expound” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).expoundlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “fashionably” (#53,533), “expeditiously” (#53,530), “feathery” (#53,535). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

expound is uncommon English at frequency #53,532 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪkˈspaʊnd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

expound doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English expounden, from Old French espondre, from Latin exponere. Doublet of expone and expose. The correct English form is expound, spelled E-X-P-O-U-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To set out the meaning of; to explain or discuss at length.
  2. 2
    To make a statement, especially at length.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Today I'll expound at length the theory propounded last week.
  2. “[…] Some day, when you are tired of London, come down to Treadley, and expound to me your philosophy of pleasure over some admirable Burgundy I am fortunate enough to possess.”

Etymology

From Middle English expounden, from Old French espondre, from Latin exponere. Doublet of expone and expose.

This word in other languages

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 "expound"?
"expound" is spelled E-X-P-O-U-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈspaʊnd/.
What does "expound" mean?
As a verb, "expound" means: To set out the meaning of; to explain or discuss at length.
How do you pronounce "expound"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "expound" is /ɪkˈspaʊnd/. 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 "expound"?
From Middle English expounden, from Old French espondre, from Latin exponere. Doublet of expone and expose. 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 "expound", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list