zest
/zɛst/
"zest" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“zest” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,868 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #22,868
- frequency rank, English
- 4
- letters
- 6
- tracked misspellings
- 12
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The outer skin of a citrus fruit, used as a flavouring or garnish.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | zest |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /zɛst/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #22,868 |
| Misspellings tracked | 6 |
| Confusable pairs | 12 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “zest” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for zest is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /zɛst/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,868 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for zest, with forms such as "ezst", "zesst", and "zestt". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "Zeus", "zeta", "ze", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French zeste. The correct English form is zest, spelled Z-E-S-T.
Definition
- 1The outer skin of a citrus fruit, used as a flavouring or garnish.
- 2General vibrance of flavour.
- 3Enthusiasm; keen enjoyment; relish; gusto. A state of being zesty.
- 4The woody, thick skin enclosing the kernel of a walnut.
- 5State of being a flamboyant or effeminate homosexual.
Etymology
Borrowed from French zeste.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ezst,zesst,zestt,zets,zset,zzest
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of zest - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "zest"?
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Using “zest”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is Z-E-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /zɛst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “Zeus” - see the side-by-side comparison. zest vs Zeus
- 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.