exterminate
/ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/
"exterminate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“exterminate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,388 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #32,388
- frequency rank, English
- 11
- letters
- 16
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To kill or otherwise permanently eliminate all of (a population of pests or undesirables), usually intentionally.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | exterminate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/ |
| Letters | 11 |
| Frequency rank | #32,388 |
| Misspellings tracked | 16 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “exterminate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for exterminate is 11 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,388 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for exterminate, with forms such as "etxerminate", "exetrminate", and "extemrinate". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "exterminator", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin exterminātus, perfect passive participle of exterminō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ex- (“thoroughly”) + terminō (“to finish, close, end”), from terminus (“limit, end”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). The correct English form is exterminate, spelled E-X-T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To kill or otherwise permanently eliminate all of (a population of pests or undesirables), usually intentionally.
- 2To bring a definite end to; to finish completely.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin exterminātus, perfect passive participle of exterminō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ex- (“thoroughly”) + terminō (“to finish, close, end”), from terminus (“limit, end”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: etxerminate,exetrminate,extemrinate,exterimnate,extermiante,exterminaet,exterminatte,exterminnate,extermintae,extermminate,extermniate,exterrminate,extreminate,extterminate,exxterminate,xeterminate
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of exterminate - 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.
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 "exterminate"?
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Using “exterminate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-X-T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “exterminator” - see the side-by-side comparison. exterminate vs exterminator
- 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.