espouse

/ɪˈspaʊz/

//ɪˈspaʊz// verb

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

"espouse" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“espouse” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,630. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,630
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To marry.

Corpus desk

Index EN-espouse · espouse · English

espouse · rank #42,630 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,630
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH exemplar

Nearest frequency peer: exemplar (+1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “espouse”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “espouse” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

espouse vs exposé
57% similar
espouse vs espoused
88% similar

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

Key facts for espouse
PropertyValue
Headwordespouse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪˈspaʊz/
Letters7
Frequency rank#42,630
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “espouse”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “exemplar” (#42,631), “enormity” (#42,628), “extender” (#42,632). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “espouse” is #42,630. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around espouse (IPA /ɪˈspaʊz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #42,630 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for espouse, with forms such as "epsouse", "esopuse", and "esposue". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "exposé", "espoused", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English espousen, borrowed from Old French espouser, from Latin spōnsāre (frequentative of spondeō), from Proto-Indo-European *spend-. The correct English form is espouse, spelled E-S-P-O-U-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To marry.
  2. 2
    To accept, support, or take on as one’s own (an idea or a cause).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For I am iealous ouer you with godly iealousie, for I haue espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
  2. Now the birth of Iesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Ioseph (before they came together) shee was found with childe of the holy Ghost.

Etymology

From Middle English espousen, borrowed from Old French espouser, from Latin spōnsāre (frequentative of spondeō), from Proto-Indo-European *spend-.

This word in other languages

desposar(Español)épouser(Français)heiraten(Deutsch)apoiar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epsouse
  • esopuse
  • esposue
  • espoues
  • espousse
  • esppouse
  • espuose
  • esspouse
  • sepouse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of espouse - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

epsouse2esopuse2esposue2espoues2espousse1esppouse1espuose2esspouse1
Edit distance from "espouse"

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 "espouse"?
"espouse" is spelled E-S-P-O-U-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈspaʊz/.
What does "espouse" mean?
As a verb, "espouse" means: To marry.
What words are commonly confused with "espouse"?
"espouse" is commonly confused with "exposé", "espoused". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "espouse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "espouse" is /ɪˈspaʊz/. 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 "espouse"?
From Middle English espousen, borrowed from Old French espouser, from Latin spōnsāre (frequentative of spondeō), from Proto-Indo-European *spend-. 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 "espouse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

encoder#42,627Elysium#42,626ellipse#42,625dogging#42,612

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Farber9 variantsfrolic9 variantsdespot9 variantsdecays9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list