per se

[pɛʁ ˈzeː]

/[pɛʁ ˈzeː]/ phrase

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

The verdict

“per se” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - aus sich heraus, durch sich selbst, von selbst

Key facts for per se
PropertyValue
Headwordper se
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[pɛʁ ˈzeː]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “per se” sits in German frequency

per se falls outside the top-100,000 ranked German words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

per se is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [pɛʁ ˈzeː]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

per se has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is per se, spelled P-E-R- -S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    aus sich heraus, durch sich selbst, von selbst
  2. 2
    im Grunde, genau genommen, für sich allein

This word in other languages

per se(English)per se(Español)de soi-même(Français)per se(Português)

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

How do you spell "per se"?
"per se" is spelled P-E-R- -S-E. The IPA pronunciation is [pɛʁ ˈzeː].
What does "per se" mean?
As a phrase, "per se" means: aus sich heraus, durch sich selbst, von selbst
How do you pronounce "per se"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "per se" is [pɛʁ ˈzeː]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "per se" come from?
"per se" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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.

Using “per se”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is P-E-R- -S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [pɛʁ ˈzeː] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list