surpass

/səˈpɑːs/

//səˈpɑːs// verb

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

"surpass" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“surpass” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,971. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,971
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To go beyond or exceed (something) in an adjudicative or literal sense.

Corpus desk

Index EN-surpass · surpass · English

surpass · rank #17,971 · 9 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #17,971
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH subdued

Nearest frequency peer: subdued (-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 “surpass”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “surpass” 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).

surpass vs surplus
71% similar

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

Key facts for surpass
PropertyValue
Headwordsurpass
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/səˈpɑːs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#17,971
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “surpass”

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).surpasslands 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 “subdued” (#17,970), “stun” (#17,969), “tack” (#17,973). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “surpass” is #17,971. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around surpass (IPA /səˈpɑːs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #17,971 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To go beyond or exceed (something) in an adjudicative or literal sense.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for surpass, with forms such as "srupass", "ssurpass", and "suprass". 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, "surplus", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French surpasser (“to pass beyond”). By surface analysis, sur- + pass. Displaced native Old English oferstīgan (literally “to climb over”). The correct English form is surpass, spelled S-U-R-P-A-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    To go beyond or exceed (something) in an adjudicative or literal sense.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The former problem student surpassed his instructor's expectations and scored top marks on his examination.
  2. The heavy rains threatened to surpass the capabilities of the levee, endangering the town on the other side.

Etymology

From Middle French surpasser (“to pass beyond”). By surface analysis, sur- + pass. Displaced native Old English oferstīgan (literally “to climb over”).

Synonyms

exceedforpasstranscendexceedexceloutdooutstripexceed

This word in other languages

sobrepasar(Español)surpasser(Français)übersteigen(Deutsch)ultrapassar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • srupass
  • ssurpass
  • suprass
  • surapss
  • surpas
  • surppass
  • surpsas
  • surrpass
  • usrpass

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of surpass - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

srupass2ssurpass1suprass2surapss2surpas1surppass1surpsas2surrpass1
Edit distance from "surpass"

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 "surpass"?
"surpass" is spelled S-U-R-P-A-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈpɑːs/.
What does "surpass" mean?
As a verb, "surpass" means: To go beyond or exceed (something) in an adjudicative or literal sense.
What words are commonly confused with "surpass"?
"surpass" is commonly confused with "surplus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "surpass"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "surpass" is /səˈpɑːs/. 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 "surpass"?
From Middle French surpasser (“to pass beyond”). By surface analysis, sur- + pass. Displaced native Old English oferstīgan (literally “to climb over”). 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 "surpass", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

subdued#17,970Straits#17,968tagging#17,974spartan#17,962

Similar misspelling depth

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

tiring9 variantssmoker9 variantsunborn9 variantsrustic9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list