espèce

\ɛs.pɛs\

/\ɛs.pɛs\/ noun

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

The verdict

“espèce” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,027 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,027
frequency rank, French
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Image ; aspect ; apparence.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

espèce vs Essec
33% similar
espèce vs espère
83% similar
espèce vs espèces
86% similar

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

Key facts for espèce
PropertyValue
Headwordespèce
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɛs.pɛs\
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,027
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “espèce” sits in French 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). espèce 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 French entry for espèce is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɛs.pɛs\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,027 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for espèce, with forms such as "epsèce", "espcèe", and "espece". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "Essec", "espère", "espèces", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is espèce, spelled E-S-P-È-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Image ; aspect ; apparence.
  2. 2
    Image ; aspect ; apparence.
  3. 3
    Image ; aspect ; apparence.
  4. 4
    Sorte ; qualité.
  5. 5
    Unité fondamentale de la systématique, regroupant des organismes capables de se reproduire entre eux et de donner une descendance fertile, partageant des caractères communs, occupant généralement une niche écologique similaire, et se distinguant d’autres individus appartenant au même genre
  6. 6
    Substance simple ou peu composée.
  7. 7
    Premier élément de classification dans une hiérarchie minérale définie par la composition chimique et la structure cristalline, au second rang il y a les variétés.
  8. 8
    Cas particulier sur lequel il s’agit de prononcer.
  9. 9
    Une personne qui n’a plus le mérite de son état et se prête encore à son avilissement.
  10. 10
    Monnaie métallique ayant cours légal.
  11. 11
    Monnaie métallique ayant cours légal.

This word in other languages

kind(English)tipo(Español)Art(Deutsch)espécie(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epsèce,espcèe,espece,esppèce,espècce,espèec,esspèce,esèpce,sepèce

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of espèce - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

epsèce2espcèe2espece1esppèce1espècce1espèec2esspèce1esèpce2
Edit distance from "espèce"

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "espèce"?
"espèce" is spelled E-S-P-È-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ɛs.pɛs\.
What does "espèce" mean?
As a noun, "espèce" means: Image ; aspect ; apparence.
What words are commonly confused with "espèce"?
"espèce" is commonly confused with "Essec", "espère", "espèces". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "espèce"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "espèce" is \ɛs.pɛs\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "espèce" come from?
"espèce" is a French 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 “espèce”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is E-S-P-È-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɛs.pɛs\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Essec” - see the side-by-side comparison. espèce vs Essec
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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