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PlainSpell

yes

/jɛs/particle, interjection, noun, verb, determiner

yes is spelled Y-E-S: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 316 times per million words in written English, the 298th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a particle, yes means “Used to show agreement or acceptance” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in yes?

Letters3: Y-E-S
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing316 times per million words; the 298th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is yes?

Yes appears 316 times per million words in written English, the 298th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce yes?

  • /jɛs/

Yes has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-yes.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-yes.wav, En-us-yes.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with yes

Also written: yass.

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of yes

  • yeses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • yesses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • yessing participle, present
  • yessed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does yes mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

particle

  1. 1

    Used to show agreement or acceptance.

    Yes, you are correct.

  2. 2

    Used to indicate disagreement or dissent in reply to a negative statement.

    It was not my fault we lost the race. Oh, yes, it was!

  3. 3

    Answer to a question presuming one answer when all answers are correct.

    Do you like cake, or pie? Yes.

interjection

  1. 1

    An exclamation of pleasure or approval, usually transcribed with an exclamation point.

    Our second goal of the match! Yes!

  2. 2

    Response that confirms that the user is paying attention.

  3. 3

    Used to ask for more information with a request.

    I need some help. Yes?

noun

  1. 1

    An affirmative expression; an answer that shows agreement or acceptance.

    Was that a yes?

  2. 2

    A vote of support or in favor of something.

    The workers voted on whether to strike, and there were thirty "yeses" and one "no".

verb

  1. 1

    colloquialTo agree with, affirm, approve.

    Did he yes the veto?

  2. 2

    colloquialTo say “yes”.

  3. 3

    slangTo attempt to flatter someone by habitually agreeing

determiner

  1. 1

    There is; indicating the existence of something.

  2. 2

    Indicating the possibility or allowance of something.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate yes?

Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of yes: Y, y.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Yes in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchoui (word used to indicate agreement or acceptance), si (word used to indicate disagreement or dissent…)
Germanja, jo (word used to indicate agreement or acceptance), doch, wohl (word used to indicate disagreement or dissent…), Ja (answer that shows agreement or acceptance), bejahen (to affirm)
Portuguesesim (word used to indicate agreement or acceptance), sim!, é!, assim!, isso!, aí! (expression of pleasure, joy or great excitement…)
Spanishsí, pues, sí pues (word used to indicate agreement or acceptance), aceptar (to affirm), dí (response that confirms attention), a favor (vote of support)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does yes come from?

From Middle English yes, from Old English ġīese (“by all means, of course, yes”), derived from the same root as yea. Compare Faroese júsá (“yes, indeed, certainly”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after yes