exterminate

/ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/

//ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt// verb

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

"exterminate" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exterminate” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,388. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,388
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To kill or otherwise permanently eliminate all of (a population of pests or undesirables), usually intentionally.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exterminate · exterminate · English

exterminate · rank #32,388 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #32,388
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Evie

Nearest frequency peer: Evie (-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 “exterminate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “exterminate” 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).

exterminate vs exterminator
83% similar

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

Key facts for exterminate
PropertyValue
Headwordexterminate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#32,388
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “exterminate”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).exterminatelands 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 “Evie” (#32,387), “Eunice” (#32,385), “ethylene” (#32,384). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exterminate” is #32,388. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around exterminate (IPA /ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #32,388 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    To kill or otherwise permanently eliminate all of (a population of pests or undesirables), usually intentionally.
  2. 2
    To bring a definite end to; to finish completely.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We'll use poison to exterminate the rats.
  2. The geth are a humanoid race of networked A.I.s. They were created by the quarians 300 years ago as tools of labor and war. When the geth showed signs of self-evolution, the quarians attempted to exterminate them. The geth won the resulting war. This example has led to legal, systematic repression of artificial intelligences in galactic society.

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).

Synonyms

annihilateeradicateextermineuprootstamp out

This word in other languages

despalillar(Español)exterminer(Français)ausrotten(Deutsch)exterminar(Português)

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.

etxerminate2exetrminate2extemrinate2exterimnate2extermiante2exterminaet2exterminatte1exterminnate1
Edit distance from "exterminate"

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"?
"exterminate" is spelled E-X-T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/.
What does "exterminate" mean?
As a verb, "exterminate" means: To kill or otherwise permanently eliminate all of (a population of pests or undesirables), usually intentionally.
What words are commonly confused with "exterminate"?
"exterminate" is commonly confused with "exterminator". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "exterminate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exterminate" is /ɛkˈstəː.mɪ.neɪt/. 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 "exterminate"?
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). 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 "exterminate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

grandmaster#32,418dictatorial#32,352hammersmith#32,424devaluation#32,351

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

helplessness16 variantsincessantly16 variantsintentioned16 variantsoverbearing16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list