extraordinary

/ɪksˈtɹɔː(ɹ)dɪnəɹi/

//ɪksˈtɹɔː(ɹ)dɪnəɹi// adj

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

"extraordinary" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“extraordinary” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,879. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,879
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
20
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not ordinary; exceptional; unusual.

Corpus desk

Index EN-extraordinary · extraordinary · English

extraordinary · rank #3,879 · 20 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,879
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH engage

Nearest frequency peer: engage (-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 “extraordinary”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “extraordinary” 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).

extraordinary vs extraordinaire
86% similar
extraordinary vs extraordinarily
87% similar

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

Key facts for extraordinary
PropertyValue
Headwordextraordinary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪksˈtɹɔː(ɹ)dɪnəɹi/
Letters13
Frequency rank#3,879
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “extraordinary”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).extraordinarylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “engage” (#3,878), “fate” (#3,880), “ears” (#3,877). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “extraordinary” is #3,879. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around extraordinary (IPA /ɪksˈtɹɔː(ɹ)dɪnəɹi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #3,879 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for extraordinary, with forms such as "etxraordinary", "exrtaordinary", and "extarordinary". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "extraordinaire", "extraordinarily", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin extrāōrdinārius, from extrā ōrdinem (“outside the order”). By surface analysis, extra- + ordinary. Doublet of extraordinaire. The correct English form is extraordinary, spelled E-X-T-R-A-O-R-D-I-N-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not ordinary; exceptional; unusual.
  2. 2
    Remarkably good.
  3. 3
    Special or supernumerary.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Except in extraordinary circumstances, […]
  2. Everybody knew I was an extraordinary person. When I was born my beard was three feet long.

Etymology

From Latin extrāōrdinārius, from extrā ōrdinem (“outside the order”). By surface analysis, extra- + ordinary. Doublet of extraordinaire.

Synonyms

exceptionalunparallelednoteworthyoutstandingextraordinate

Antonyms

everydaynormalordinaryregularusual

This word in other languages

extraordinario(Español)extraordinaire(Français)außerordentlich(Deutsch)extraordinário(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etxraordinary
  • exrtaordinary
  • extarordinary
  • extraodrinary
  • extraorddinary
  • extraordianry
  • extraordinarry
  • extraordinaryy
  • extraordinayr
  • extraordinnary
  • extraordinray
  • extraordniary
  • extraoridnary
  • extraorrdinary
  • extrarodinary
  • extroardinary
  • extrraordinary
  • exttraordinary
  • exxtraordinary
  • xetraordinary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of extraordinary - 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.

etxraordinary2exrtaordinary2extarordinary2extraodrinary2extraorddinary1extraordianry2extraordinarry1extraordinaryy1
Edit distance from "extraordinary"

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 "extraordinary"?
"extraordinary" is spelled E-X-T-R-A-O-R-D-I-N-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪksˈtɹɔː(ɹ)dɪnəɹi/.
What does "extraordinary" mean?
As an adjective, "extraordinary" means: Not ordinary; exceptional; unusual.
What words are commonly confused with "extraordinary"?
"extraordinary" is commonly confused with "extraordinaire", "extraordinarily". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "extraordinary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "extraordinary" is /ɪksˈtɹɔː(ɹ)dɪnəɹi/. 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 "extraordinary"?
From Latin extrāōrdinārius, from extrā ōrdinem (“outside the order”). By surface analysis, extra- + ordinary. Doublet of extraordinaire. 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 "extraordinary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

comprehensive#3,868manufacturers#3,961contributions#4,010participation#4,102

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

consideration20 variantsconsistently20 variantscontroversial20 variantsmanufacturing20 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list