Jesse

/ˈd͡ʒɛs.i/

//ˈd͡ʒɛs.i// name

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

The verdict

“Jesse” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,701 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#6,701
frequency rank, English
5
letters
5
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The son of Obed and the father of king David.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Jesse vs Jews
60% similar
Jesse vs Jose
60% similar
Jesse vs jets
40% similar

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

Key facts for Jesse
PropertyValue
HeadwordJesse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒɛs.i/
Letters5
Frequency rank#6,701
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Jesse” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for Jesse is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈd͡ʒɛs.i/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,701 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for Jesse, with forms such as "ejsse", "jese", and "jeses". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "Jews", "Jose", "jets", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí), from Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai). The correct English form is Jesse, spelled J-E-S-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The son of Obed and the father of king David.
  2. 2
    A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.
  3. 3
    A female given name, variant of Jessie.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí), from Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ejsse,jese,jeses,jjesse,jsese

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Jesse - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ejsse2jese1jeses2jjesse1jsese2
Edit distance from "Jesse"

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 "Jesse"?
"Jesse" is spelled J-E-S-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɛs.i/.
What does "Jesse" mean?
As a proper noun, "Jesse" means: The son of Obed and the father of king David.
What words are commonly confused with "Jesse"?
"Jesse" is commonly confused with "Jews", "Jose", "jets". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Jesse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Jesse" is /ˈd͡ʒɛs.i/. 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 "Jesse"?
From Ancient Greek Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí), from Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai). 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 “Jesse”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is J-E-S-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈd͡ʒɛs.i/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Jews” - see the side-by-side comparison. Jesse vs Jews
  • 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