What type of exoplanet is more massive than Earth but lighter than Neptune?

A super-Earth is an exoplanet more massive than Earth but lighter than Neptune.

The term describes a broad mass category rather than a claim that a planet resembles Earth in climate or habitability. Super-Earths generally fall between Earth and Neptune in mass, but their compositions can vary widely. Some may be rocky worlds with substantial atmospheres; others may contain thick envelopes of gas or volatile materials. Size, density, temperature, and atmosphere must be measured separately.

The category became important as astronomers began finding planets unlike the Solar System's familiar eight. Our system has no planet in the usual super-Earth mass range: Earth is smaller, while Neptune is much more massive. Many super-Earths have been detected by the transit method, which measures a star's slight dimming, or by radial velocity, which tracks a star's gravitational wobble.

The name can mislead readers into imagining a larger, improved Earth. A super-Earth may orbit too close to its star to retain a temperate climate, or it may be an ocean world, a highly irradiated rock, or a planet with a thick atmosphere. “Super” refers primarily to mass, not living conditions or surface quality.