# essay vs esse

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### essay
*noun · IPA /ˈɛs.eɪ/ · frequency rank #4,854*
A written composition of moderate length, exploring a particular issue or subject.

### esse
*noun · IPA /ˈɛsi/ · frequency rank #47,043*
Essence, essential nature.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/essay-vs-esse