extempore
/ɛkˈstɛmpəɹi/
"extempore" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“extempore” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Carried out with no preparation.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | extempore |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ɛkˈstɛmpəɹi/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “extempore” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for extempore is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɛkˈstɛmpəɹi/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
extempore doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin ex (“immediately after”) + tempore, ablative singular of tempus (“time", "opportunity", "occasion”). The correct English form is extempore, spelled E-X-T-E-M-P-O-R-E.
Definition
- 1Carried out with no preparation.
- 21833 January, “Pandemonic Revels”, in The Royal Lady’s Magazine, and Archives of the Court of St. James’s, number XXV, London, page 15
- 31833 January, “Pandemonic Revels”, in The Royal Lady’s Magazine, and Archives of the Court of St. James’s, number XXV, London, page 15: Sheets, tablecloths, white gowns, and pocket-handkerchiefs were instantly in demand, and every one, as has been seen, entered, con amore, into the extempore entertainment of Pandemonic Revels.
Etymology
From Latin ex (“immediately after”) + tempore, ablative singular of tempus (“time", "opportunity", "occasion”).
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “extempore”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-X-T-E-M-P-O-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɛkˈstɛmpəɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.