ace

/eɪs/

//eɪs// noun

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

"ace" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ace” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,930 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,930
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A playing card showing a single pip, typically the highest or lowest ranking card in a game.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

ace vs as
33% similar
ace vs at
33% similar
ace vs an
33% similar

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

Key facts for ace
PropertyValue
Headwordace
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/eɪs/
Letters3
Frequency rank#5,930
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ace” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). ace lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for ace is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /eɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,930 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

ace has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "as", "at", "an", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English as, from Old French as, from Latin as, assis (“unity, copper coin, the unit of coinage”), probably borrowed from Etruscan. Doublet of as. Likely related or deriving ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs, or otherwise taki… The correct English form is ace, spelled A-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A playing card showing a single pip, typically the highest or lowest ranking card in a game.
  2. 2
    A die face marked with a single dot, typically representing the number one.
  3. 3
    The ball marked with the number 1 in pool and related games.
  4. 4
    A dollar bill.
  5. 5
    A very small quantity or degree; a particle; an atom; a jot.
  6. 6
    A serve won without the opponent hitting the ball.
  7. 7
    A point won by a single stroke, as in handball, rackets, etc.
  8. 8
    The best pitcher on the team.
  9. 9
    A run.
  10. 10
    A hole in one.
  11. 11
    An expert at something; a maverick, genius; a person of supreme talent.
  12. 12
    A military aircraft pilot who is credited with shooting down many enemy aircraft, typically five or more.
  13. 13
    A perfect score on a school exam.
  14. 14
    Any of various hesperiid butterflies.
  15. 15
    A quark.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English as, from Old French as, from Latin as, assis (“unity, copper coin, the unit of coinage”), probably borrowed from Etruscan. Doublet of as. Likely related or deriving ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs, or otherwise taking from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp, pointed”) in the sense of "singular".

This word in other languages

as(Español)as(Français)Ass(Deutsch)ás(Português)

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 "ace"?
"ace" is spelled A-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /eɪs/.
What does "ace" mean?
As a noun, "ace" means: A playing card showing a single pip, typically the highest or lowest ranking card in a game.
What words are commonly confused with "ace"?
"ace" is commonly confused with "as", "at", "an". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ace"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ace" is /eɪs/. 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 "ace"?
Inherited from Middle English as, from Old French as, from Latin as, assis (“unity, copper coin, the unit of coinage”), probably borrowed from Etruscan. Doublet of as. Likely related or deriving ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs, or othe... 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.

Using “ace”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /eɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “as” - see the side-by-side comparison. ace vs as
  • 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.

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

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