English spellings/Catalogs/E

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
Common misspellings

This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with E. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.

For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.^[e]

---

Ê

Ê. côlî is one of several ways of writing the abbreviation of Escherichia coli; ecôlî is the simplest

Eâmonn = Eâmon, cf. Hâyman (minimal pair)

êar cf. BrE ërr AmE érr

Éarheart Amelia = Érhard German *Érhart

ëarl

Ëarl Grây tea *Ërle Grèy, cf. colour BrE grèy, AmE grây; cf. Ërle Stánley Gàrdner

ëarly

ëarn money = ürn bury = ërne eagle

ëarnest serious = Ërnest person, cf. the punning title Thê Impŏrtance of Bêing Ëarnest

ëarth

êasel

Êaster

êastern east BrE = Êaston person

êasy-gôing

êaten eat = Êton school

êaves roof cf. êve before

êavesdróp one word

eccéntric exé-, cf. ecléctic, éxcellent

ecclesiástic cf. ecléctic

écho sound = Éco Umberto

échelon or ésh-

eclãir sometimes with French accent éclair *í-clãir

eclát sometimes with French accent éclat *è-clá

ecôlî is the simplest way of writing the abbreviation of Escherichia coli, cf. Ê. côlî

éctoplasm

ecléctic cf. ecclesiástic

económic: ê- or é-

ecónomy

ecólogy

êcosystem (preferable to écosystem = écho sýstem)

écstasy éxt-

ecstátic éxt-

Écuador *Équador

éczema *éxma

éddy pool = Éddie name = Éddy surname

Édgar

Édgbaston, Éjb-

édge *éj

Édgwãre, Éjw-

êdict

édit

edítion

Édward *Édwə(r)d

Edwårdian, Edwàrdian

êek exclamation = êke out

êerie strange as in Lâke Êrie, cf. ãiry light = éyrie - and variant spellings - bird

efféct result í- or ə-: when schwa = afféct cause

effervésce -véss

efficácity

effícient -shənt

éffort AmE *éfrt, BrE *éfət

effròntery cf. affrònt

e.g. *êe-jêe

êgo

egotístical etc. - ê or é

egrêgious

Êgýpt

Egýptian *Ijípshən

Èid = âid help = âide assistant

eîder

êiderdown

eidétic î-

Eîffel Tower ≈ eŷeful sight

èight 8 = AmE âte eat, BrE *ét

èighth *èitth: both t and th sounds

èighty makes a rhyming minimal pair with Hâiti

Eîleen

Éire Ireland *Ãirə

Eîsenhòwer Îz-

eîther BrE, AmE êither neither, voiced th, cf. êther sky, unvoiced th

êke out = êek cry

ElBáradeî

élbôw

éldritch, cf. óstrich, Éldridge

Éleanor = Élinor

eléction

eléctoral

eléctorate

eléctric

eléctrocute

eléctrón

elegîac

Eléktra

élement makes a minimal pair with élephant

eleméntary

elévenses

élf

élfin

Élgàr - though it seems contemporary pronunciation was *Èlgə

Êlham Kent = Êalham, cf. Éltham *Éltam

elícit obtain = illícit illegal

elîde

éligible cf. illégible

Elîsha cf. Alísha = Alícia

Elîjah

Éliot George, T.S. = Elliot = Élliott

elísion

elìte íl-

elìtist

Elízabeth Queen = Elísabeth

ellípse

Él Sálvador; adjective can be Salvadǒrean or Salvadǒrian

élsewhere one word

Éltham -təm

elûde əl- or íl-, cf. allûde əl-

elûsive elude = illûsive illusory

élves, plural of élf

Élvis

Êly *Êelêe

ém, as in ém dásh or ém-dásh or émdásh

émanate

*emanuénsis amanuénsis

embárrass cf. embrâce

émbassy cf. ambássador

embézzle

émblem

embódiment

embrâce cf. embárrass

embrŏidery

émbryo *émbrio

eménds alters = aménds make, cf. imménse huge

emërge

émigrate cf. ímmigrâte

émigrè can be written with French accents: émigré

éminence grìse *éminónss-grêez

éminent

emôji cf. môjo

emôtion

émpathy

emphysêma

émulate

en French = ón English: en occurs in the following expressions taken from French, which may be italicised: en attendant *onətóndón, en bloc *ón blóck, en clair *ón clãir, en face, *ón fáss, en famille *onfamì, en fête *onfét, en masse, *ón máss, en passant *onpásson, en plein *ón plán, en poste *ón póst, en prise, *ón prêez, en rapport, *ón rappŏr, en route, *ón roôt, en suìte *ón swêet

én, as in én dásh or én-dásh or éndásh

encéphalitis enk-

encore óngk-

encoúrage BrE; AmE ü

énclave - some say óngk-

encúmber cf. incúmbent

endéavour

endógenous cf. indíginous

endûre cf. ínjure

énemy *énəmy, three syllables, not "énmy", cf. énmity, also three syllables

énergy - g as j

energétic - g as j

enfant terrìble *ónfónté-rêebl

enfŏrce require = ín fŏrce applicable

enfŏrceable -ssəb-

engâge

engagé, usually written with a French accent to distinguish it from the previous, *ongázhây

Éngelbert Húmperdinck, the English pop singer, has a g sound in addition to the ng sound, whereas the composer whose name he took should ideally, in conformity with the German, have no extra g sound and a ù: Hùmperdinck

éngine -jín

England *Íng-glənd, English *Íng-glísh: not "Êeng-

énmity, cf. énemy, with added schwa

ennuì *ón-wê

Ênoch *Êenóc

enŏrmous

enoúgh *inúff

en pássant *ompásson - last syllable nasalised

enquîre, enquîry or inquîre, inquîry; AmE ínquiry = enquiry

ensemble *onsómble

énsign *énsən, *énsîne

ensûe -syû

ensůre verify = insůre insurance, verify; BrE *inshåw, AmE *inshûre [1]

énter

entîre *íntŷre, cf. MácIntyre etc.

entîrety *entîrity

entouràge *óntùràzh

éntrance enter

entrānce beguile

entrèe, can have French accent entrée, *óntrây

entrepôt *óntrəpô

entreprenëur ón-; AmE -neûr

enúnciate´

envélop verb

énvelôpe noun - some say ón-

envîronment, environméntalist: -nm-

Eôín = Ôwen

epicûrêan

épitāph

epítomê

êpóch -ók; some AmE *épək

Épsteîn Brian; some others are Épstêin

êqual

eqùality

equâte

equatǒrial

equilíbrium: ê or é

équitable

équity

equívocal

Equûleus

ër hesitation = BrE ërr error

êra BrE; AmE éra time = BrE érror mistake, or *éəra (*ãira); cf. ãrea, ària

erádicate cf. írrigate

erâse BrE -z, AmE -ss

Érdogàn *Ãirdowàn or Ërdowàn

ére before = ãir oxygen = héir estate = é'er ever

ërgo

Eritrèa, Eritrêa

ërmíne

ërne eagle = ëarn money = ürn pot

Ërnest = ëarnest sincere

erógenous, cf. heterogêneous

Êrós

erótic

ërr BrE; AmE érr = AmE ãir, cf. êar

Érrol Flynn = Érroll Garner

érror BrE = éra AmE, so American Názi éra sounds as if it means Nàzi érror to British and Commonwealth speakers

érudîte

eschêat - s and ch pronounced separately: second syllable = chêat

Éscher M.C. makes a minimal pair with Êsher England

escheŵ - s and ch pronounced separately: second syllable = cheŵ

éspìonàge -àzh

Ésther = (much rarer) Éster

ÉTA Basque = Étta person

ét ál

Ètàn Pâtz

etc. = ét cétera: not pronounced 'ixetra' and not spelt *ect

êther, cf. êither/eîther

éthnocéntric one word

ethnógraphy

êthŷl, cf. Éthel

êtìolate

étiquette *éttikétt

Êton school = êaten eat = Êton = Êaton persons

Etônian

eû- well = yoû pronoun

Eûcharist Yûkə-

eûchre *yûker

Eûgêne = yoû, Jêan

eûlogy

eûphemism

eûro currency = Eûro sport, EU = Yûro Timi

Eurôpa *Yurôpa Jupiter, mythology

Eûrope *Yûrəp

Europêan *Yuropêan

Eûrôs football = eûros currency, -z

Euroscéptic *Yurosképtic, capitalised as it refers to the European Union

eûrozône, not capitalised as it refers to the euro currency

euthanâsia -âzìyə, or palatalised, ≈ yoûth an' Âsia

evanéscent év-

Évans makes a minimal pair with héavens

eváporate cf. vâporise

êve before cf. êaves roof

êven cf. Évan (minimal pair)

evént

Évelyn usually female

Êvelyn usually male

éverybody

éveryday: the one-word form is an attributive adjective as in éveryday lîfe; cf. wê gét úp évery dây

éveryone everybody cf. évery òne each

évery tîme two words, cf. sòmetime or other, anytime *énnytime, which can be one or two, depending on sense

Evgény = Yevgény, strictly with (another) invisible 'y': *Yevgyény (Евгений)

êvil cf. dévil

evolûtion BrE ê-, AmE é-

eŵe sheep = yoû me = yeŵ tree

éx lover = éx- past = Éxe river

exácerbate

exággerate -ájərâte

exámíne

exāmple (cf. "exemple" in French)

excél

éxcellent

*excéntric eccéntric exé-

excépt exception = accépt receive, cf. exémpt

éxcërpt noun, excërpt verb

exchéquer -ker

excîte

excîting excite, cf. éxíting exit

exclamâtion, cf. exclâim

excûse forgive -z, reason -ss

éxeát *éxiat

éxecute

execûtion

exécutive

exécutor

exémpt, cf. excépt

éxercise practise ≈ éxŏrcise spirit

exërgue *exërg

exhíbit

exhibítion

exhílarating silent h, cf. hilãrious

éxîle

exístence

existéntial

éxiting exit, cf. excîting excite, both one t

éxited exit, cf. excìted excite

éxodus

exónerâte

éxŏrcise, cf. éxercise (minimal pair, or both may have medial schwa)

expátriate -ət, cf. pâtriot, also ət

expêrìence *ixpêərêənss

expéríment

expertìse -têez, cf. other words ending in -ise, mostly -îze

explanâtion, cf. explâin

explêtive BrE; éxpletive AmE

explŏit use

éxplŏit dare

explôsíve -sív or -zív

expôse

exposé normally has French accent to distinguish it from the above, *expôzây - either stressed

extól or extôl

éxtra *xtra

éxtradîte

extrávagant

extravagánza

extraŏrdinary - the first a often is not heard: *extrŏrdinary

extrêmist

éxtrovërt

eŷe see = Î am = aŷe yes

eŷesîght one word, *îsîte

eŷeẁash one word, *îwósh

èyot islet = âit islet, alternative spelling = èight 8

Éyre Jane = ãir breathe, etc.

éyrie bird has variant pronunciations (êyrie, eŷrie) and spellings (éyry, ãérie and ãéry = ãiry light); cf. Lâke Êrie = êerie weird

Ezêkiel