par excellence
/ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑːns/
"par-excellence" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“par excellence” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 14
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Because or on account of one's excellence.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | par excellence |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑːns/ |
| Letters | 14 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “par excellence” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
par excellence is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑːns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for par excellence, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Unadapted borrowing from French par excellence (“excellently, in an especially representative way; above all”), a calque of Latin per excellentiam, itself a calque of Ancient Greek κατ’ ἐξοχήν (kat’ exokhḗn). The correct English form is par excellence, spelled P-A-R- -E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-C-E.
Definition
- 1Because or on account of one's excellence.
- 2Most excellently, variously intending
- 3Most excellently, variously intending
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French par excellence (“excellently, in an especially representative way; above all”), a calque of Latin per excellentiam, itself a calque of Ancient Greek κατ’ ἐξοχήν (kat’ exokhḗn).
Synonyms
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 “par excellence”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-A-R- -E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌpɑːɹ ˌɛksəˈlɑːns/ (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.