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ace

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

3 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "ace", 3-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "ace" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "ace" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

ace is aEnglishnoun. It means: A playing card showing a single pip, typically the highest or lowest ranking card in a game. Pronounced /eɪs/. It ranks #5,930 in English word frequency. Often confused with as and at.

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

Frequency rank visualization

Position of ace in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for ace is 3 letters long, classified as anoun, 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.

No frequent misspelling variants are recorded for ace in our index, suggesting the orthography either follows predictable English patterns or the word is uncommon enough that typo corpora lack signal.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… Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is ace, spelled A-C-E, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

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

Frequency rank: #5,930 in English

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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter A in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.