extort

/ɪkˈstɔː(ɹ)t/

//ɪkˈstɔː(ɹ)t// verb

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

"extort" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“extort” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,136. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,136
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To take or seize from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity.

Corpus desk

Index EN-extort · extort · English

extort · rank #36,136 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,136
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH exclaim

Nearest frequency peer: exclaim (-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 “extort”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “extort” 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).

extort vs exert
67% similar
extort vs effort
67% similar
extort vs expert
67% similar

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

Key facts for extort
PropertyValue
Headwordextort
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪkˈstɔː(ɹ)t/
Letters6
Frequency rank#36,136
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “extort”

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).extortlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “exclaim” (#36,135), “falter” (#36,137), “eunuch” (#36,134). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “extort” is #36,136. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around extort (IPA /ɪkˈstɔː(ɹ)t/), averb. Corpus frequency is #36,136 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for extort, with forms such as "etxort", "exotrt", and "extorrt". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "exert", "effort", "expert", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin extortus, past participle of extorquere (“to twist or wrench out, to extort”); from ex (“out”) + -tort, from torqueō (“twist, turn”). The correct English form is extort, spelled E-X-T-O-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To take or seize from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity.
  2. 2
    To obtain by means of the offense of extortion.
  3. 3
    To twist outwards.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to extort contributions from the vanquished
  2. to extort confessions of guilt

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin extortus, past participle of extorquere (“to twist or wrench out, to extort”); from ex (“out”) + -tort, from torqueō (“twist, turn”).

Synonyms

wrench awayto tear awayto wringto exact

This word in other languages

extorquer(Français)erpressen(Deutsch)extorquir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etxort
  • exotrt
  • extorrt
  • extortt
  • extotr
  • extrot
  • exttort
  • exxtort
  • xetort

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of extort - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

etxort2exotrt2extorrt1extortt1extotr2extrot2exttort1exxtort1
Edit distance from "extort"

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 "extort"?
"extort" is spelled E-X-T-O-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈstɔː(ɹ)t/.
What does "extort" mean?
As a verb, "extort" means: To take or seize from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity.
What words are commonly confused with "extort"?
"extort" is commonly confused with "exert", "effort", "expert". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "extort"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "extort" is /ɪkˈstɔː(ɹ)t/. 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 "extort"?
Borrowed from Latin extortus, past participle of extorquere (“to twist or wrench out, to extort”); from ex (“out”) + -tort, from torqueō (“twist, turn”). 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 "extort", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

falter#36,137eunuch#36,134esprit#36,131Eocene#36,127

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

flutes9 variantsDunlap9 variantsDonahue9 variantshalter9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list