# east

> English word · Noun · IPA /iːst/ · frequency rank #709

## Definitions
1. The direction of the earth's rotation, specifically 90°.
2. The eastern region or area; the inhabitants thereof.
3. In a church: the direction of the altar and chancel; the direction faced by the priest when celebrating ad orientem.

## Etymology
From Middle English est, from Old English ēast, from Proto-West Germanic *austr, from Proto-Germanic *austrą, from Proto-Germanic *austraz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwsteros (“east”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots aist (“east”), North Frisian uast, ååst, ööst (“east”), Saterland Frisian Aaste (“east”), West Frisian east (“east”), Dutch oost (“east”), German Ost (“east”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål øst (“east”), Faroese eystur (“east”), Icelandic austur (“east”), Norwegian Nynorsk aust, øst (“east”), Swedish ost, öst, öster (“east”); also with Avestan 𐬎𐬱𐬀𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬭𐬀 (ušastara, “eastern”), Latin auster (“south”).

## Easily confused with
- **et** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-et)
- **ES** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-es)
- **eat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-eat)
- **est** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-est)
- **EPS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-eps)
- **EDT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-edt)
- **EMS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-ems)
- **ESA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-esa)
- **Eos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-eos)
- **ERS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-ers)
- **eau** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-eau)
- **ECT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-ect)
- **ESL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-esl)
- **ETS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-ets)
- **EMT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-emt)
- **ESC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-esc)
- **ese** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-ese)
- **els** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-els)
- **Eis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-eis)
- **eft** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/east-vs-eft)

## Common misspellings (4)
`aest`, `easst`, `eastt`, `esat`

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