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” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #153 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#153
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of using.

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 →

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for use is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /juːs/. Corpus data places it at rank #153 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

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.

Using “use”

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

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