at ease

prep_phrase

"at-ease" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“at ease” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a prep_phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Free of anxiety; not stressed or tense.

Key facts for at ease
PropertyValue
Headwordat ease
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrep_phrase
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “at ease” sits in English frequency

at ease falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for at ease is 7 letters long, classified as a prep_phrase. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for at ease, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English at ese, calque of Old French a eise, from a (“at”) + eise (“ease”). The correct English form is at ease, spelled A-T- -E-A-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Free of anxiety; not stressed or tense.
  2. 2
    In a relaxed position with the feet apart rather than at attention.
  3. 3
    Allowed to refrain from being in rigid formation.

Etymology

From Middle English at ese, calque of Old French a eise, from a (“at”) + eise (“ease”).

This word in other languages

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 "at ease"?
"at ease" is spelled A-T- -E-A-S-E.
What does "at ease" mean?
As a prep_phrase, "at ease" means: Free of anxiety; not stressed or tense.
What is the origin of the word "at ease"?
From Middle English at ese, calque of Old French a eise, from a (“at”) + eise (“ease”). 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 “at ease”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-T- -E-A-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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