per se

[ˈpeɾ se]

/[ˈpeɾ se]/ phrase

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

The verdict

“per se” is uncommon Spanish (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - De por sí, por sí mismo.

Key facts for per se
PropertyValue
Headwordper se
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈpeɾ se]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “per se” sits in Spanish frequency

per se falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

per se is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [ˈpeɾ se]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "De por sí, por sí mismo.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for per se, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct Spanish form is per se, spelled P-E-R- -S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    De por sí, por sí mismo.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "per se"?
"per se" is spelled P-E-R- -S-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈpeɾ se].
What does "per se" mean?
As a phrase, "per se" means: De por sí, por sí mismo.
How do you pronounce "per se"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "per se" is [ˈpeɾ se]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "per se" come from?
"per se" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “per se”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is P-E-R- -S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈpeɾ se] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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