esper

/ˈɛsˌpɝ/

//ˈɛsˌpɝ// noun

"esper" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“esper” is uncommon English (frequency #53,524 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,524
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person who practices the development of psychic ability.

Corpus desk

Index EN-esper · esper · English

esper · rank #53,524 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,524
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Erebus

Nearest frequency peer: Erebus (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “esper”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “esper” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for esper
PropertyValue
Headwordesper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛsˌpɝ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#53,524
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “esper” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).esperfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Erebus” (#53,522), “estuarine” (#53,526), “epidemiologist” (#53,521). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “esper” is #53,524. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

esper is uncommon English at frequency #53,524 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɛsˌpɝ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for esper in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From ESP + -er from ESP (“extrasensory perception”). The correct English form is esper, spelled E-S-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who practices the development of psychic ability.
  2. 2
    A person who has extrasensory perception.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how esper appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I don't know why anybody would be spying on me, either, but—I'm neither a Lensman nor an esper, but I'd swear that somebody's peeking over my shoulder half the time.
  2. But Espers can’t pick up any EK brain pattern farther than the horizon. It’s direct wave transmission. Even large objects cannot be penetrated. A building, say, or a—

Etymology

From ESP + -er from ESP (“extrasensory perception”).

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 "esper"?
"esper" is spelled E-S-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛsˌpɝ/.
What does "esper" mean?
As a noun, "esper" means: A person who practices the development of psychic ability.
How do you pronounce "esper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "esper" is /ˈɛsˌpɝ/. 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 "esper"?
From ESP + -er from ESP (“extrasensory perception”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "esper", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list