use

/juːs/

//juːs// noun

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

"use" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“use” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #153) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#153
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of using.

Corpus desk

Index EN-use · use · English

use · rank #153 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #153
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH something

Nearest frequency peer: something (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “use”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “use” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

use vs UT
0% similar
use vs UV
0% similar
use vs UW
0% similar

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

Key facts for use
PropertyValue
Headworduse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/juːs/
Letters3
Frequency rank#153
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “use” 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).use lands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for use is neighbouring look-alikes ("UT", "UV", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /juːs/. Frequency #153 among 1,433 “U” headwords. 10 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

No misspelling variants are generated for use in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "UT", "UV", "UW", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Noun from Middle English use, from Old French us, from Latin ūsus (“use, custom, skill, habit”), from past participle stem of ūtor (“use”). Displaced native Middle English note (“use”) (see note) from Old English notu; Middle English nutte (“use”) from Old … The correct English form is use, spelled U-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of using.
  2. 2
    The act of consuming alcohol or narcotics.
  3. 3
    Usefulness, benefit.
  4. 4
    A function; a purpose for which something may be employed.
  5. 5
    Occasion or need to employ; necessity.
  6. 6
    Interest for lent money; premium paid for the use of something; usury.
  7. 7
    Continued or repeated practice; usage; habit.
  8. 8
    Common occurrence; ordinary experience.
  9. 9
    A special form of a rite adopted for use in a particular context, often a diocese.
  10. 10
    A slab of iron welded to the side of a forging, such as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by hammering, so as to lengthen the forging.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The use of torture has been condemned by the United Nations.
  2. […]long john underwear, heavy socks, rubber boots, thick flannel shirts, oilskins — it all wore and tore and sprung holes from the hard use of battling storm and bad weather.

Etymology

Noun from Middle English use, from Old French us, from Latin ūsus (“use, custom, skill, habit”), from past participle stem of ūtor (“use”). Displaced native Middle English note (“use”) (see note) from Old English notu; Middle English nutte (“use”) from Old English nytt; as well as Old English fricu and Old English sidu. Verb from Middle English usen, from Old French user (“use, employ, practice”), from Medieval Latin usare (“use”), frequentative form of past participle stem of Latin uti (“to use”). Displaced native Middle English noten, nutten (“to use”) (from Old English notian, nēotan, nyttian) and Middle English brouken, bruken (“to use, enjoy”) (from Old English brūcan).

This word in other languages

uso(Español)usage(Français)Benutzung(Deutsch)utilidade(Português)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "use"?
"use" is spelled U-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /juːs/.
What does "use" mean?
As a noun, "use" means: The act of using.
What words are commonly confused with "use"?
"use" is commonly confused with "UT", "UV", "UW". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "use"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "use" is /juːs/. 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 "use"?
Noun from Middle English use, from Old French us, from Latin ūsus (“use, custom, skill, habit”), from past participle stem of ūtor (“use”). Displaced native Middle English note (“use”) (see note) from Old English notu; Middle English nutte (“use”)... 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 "use", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

man#148say#135old#174got#130

What to do next

You've looked up "use". Here's where to go from here.

  • "use" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "UT". View pair
  • Usage frequency rank #153 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "U" letter cohort. U–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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