ese

[ˈese]

/[ˈese]/ noun

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

The verdict

“ese” is in the everyday core of Spanish, ranked #84 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#84
frequency rank, Spanish
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nombre de la letra s.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ese vs ex
33% similar
ese vs et
33% similar
ese vs eu
33% similar

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

Key facts for ese
PropertyValue
Headwordese
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈese]
Letters3
Frequency rank#84
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ese” sits in Spanish 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). ese 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 Spanish entry for ese is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈese]. Corpus data places it at rank #84 in overall Spanish word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

ese has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ex", "et", "eu", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct Spanish form is ese, spelled E-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nombre de la letra s.
  2. 2
    Rastro, huella o rumbo que por sus revueltas semeja la figura de una s.
  3. 3
    Pieza de maquinaria en forma de s.
  4. 4
    Eslabón de una cadena que tiene forma de ese.

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ese"?
"ese" is spelled E-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈese].
What does "ese" mean?
As a noun, "ese" means: Nombre de la letra s.
What words are commonly confused with "ese"?
"ese" is commonly confused with "ex", "et", "eu". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ese"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ese" is [ˈese]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ese" come from?
"ese" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “ese”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is E-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈese] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ex” - see the side-by-side comparison. ese vs ex
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish 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