Word Choice Espresso vs. Expresso

Word Choice Espresso vs. Expresso Word Choice: Espresso vs. Expresso Like many proofreaders, we are powered by coffee. And there is nothing quite like a powerful hit of caffeine in the morning before you set about correcting grammar. But do we want an â€Å"espresso† or an â€Å"expresso†? You might have seen both of these terms used in coffee shops. But is there a difference? And if not, which of these terms is correct? Let’s find out! Espresso (Concentrated Coffee) â€Å"Espresso† is a loanword from Italian. You’ll already know what it means if you’re a coffee fan, but we’ll offer a quick explanation in case we have any tea drinkers among our readers. Mmmmm coffee. In short, â€Å"espresso† comes from caffà ¨ espresso, which is Italian for â€Å"pressed out coffee.† This refers to how an espresso is made, with pressurized water used to make thick, strong coffee. And as well as being a drink in its own right, espresso is also used as a base for other coffee drinks. Expresso (No Longer a Typo) Time for the big reveal! â€Å"Expresso† means†¦ exactly the same as â€Å"espresso.† It is simply a variant spelling. This makes it a bit like â€Å"doughnut† and â€Å"donut† or â€Å"whiskey† and â€Å"whisky.† The main difference is that â€Å"expresso† started out as a common misspelling of â€Å"espresso.† This error may have caught on because we have more â€Å"ex-† words than â€Å"es-† words in English. Or it may just be because â€Å"espresso† looks a bit like â€Å"express† written down. Or it could even be a French influence since expresso has always been the correct spelling of this term over there. Whatever its origins, though, â€Å"expresso† is now so common that many dictionaries list it as a variant of â€Å"espresso.† Espresso or Expresso? As explained above, these terms are essentially interchangeable. â€Å"Expresso† started out as an error, but it has now been accepted as a variant spelling of â€Å"espresso† in English. Nevertheless, â€Å"espresso† is still far more common (especially in American English) and many people consider â€Å"expresso† incorrect. So to be certain your writing is error free and/or to avoid upsetting pedantic baristas, we recommend sticking to the old â€Å"espresso† spelling!