esse

\ɛs\

/\ɛs\/ noun

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

The verdict

“esse” is an uncommon French word, ranked #53,938 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#53,938
frequency rank, French
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Lettre latine S, s.

Key facts for esse
PropertyValue
Headwordesse
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɛs\
Letters4
Frequency rank#53,938
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “esse” 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). esse 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 esse is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɛs\. Corpus data places it at rank #53,938 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for esse in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is esse, spelled E-S-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lettre latine S, s.
  2. 2
    Instrument en forme de S.
  3. 3
    Conduite en forme de S, permettant d’assurer la mise hors-gel.
  4. 4
    Cheville de fer tordue, faite à peu près en forme d’S, qu’on met au bout de l’essieu d’une voiture, pour empêcher que la roue n’en sorte.
  5. 5
    Crochet auquel sont suspendus les plateaux au fléau d’une balance.
  6. 6
    Crochet aux extrémités effilées servant à suspendre des quartiers de viande.
  7. 7
    Crochet qui sert à élever les pierres pour la construction d’un édifice.
  8. 8
    Chacune des ouïes de la table d’harmonie des instruments de la famille du violon.
  9. 9
    Lame de métal percée de trous de différents diamètres, destinée à tester le calibre des fils de fer. → voir esser

This word in other languages

ess(English)es(Deutsch)

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 "esse"?
"esse" is spelled E-S-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is \ɛs\.
What does "esse" mean?
As a noun, "esse" means: Lettre latine S, s.
How do you pronounce "esse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "esse" is \ɛs\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "esse" come from?
"esse" 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 “esse”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is E-S-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɛs\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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