Expresso vs. Espresso? Which Should You Use in a Sentence?

Most people who drink coffee first thing in the morning take their caffeine dose because it wakes them up and alleviates their grogginess. But ask them to spell the name of the coffee drink they’re sipping, and they’ll stumble. “Expresso” or “espresso”, for instance, can be confusing or hard to spell for quite a few people.

“Espresso” is a highly concentrated variant of coffee. It’s taken as shots, incorporated in other coffee drinks and coffee-based dishes. “Expresso”, on the contrary, started as a typo of “espresso”. But it’s now viewed as accurate spelling. “Espresso”, however, is still the correct word to use.

If you thought “expresso” was a misspelling of “espresso” and never considered it as a valid term, read on to learn about its inception, what promulgated its widespread acceptance, how it compares to the original word “espresso” in usage, and lots more.

“Expresso” – Definition

What started as the incorrect spelling or typo of “espresso”, “expresso” is now the alternate spelling of “expresso”. In other words, both “expresso” and “espresso” mean the same thing. “Expresso” might seem like a relatively new term, but it has been in use in texts and speech for quite some time. The word has been a part of esteemed publications since the 1960s.

“Expresso” isn’t the only term to have been adopted by online dictionaries based on popularity. Donut (doughnut), whisky (whiskey), esthetic (aesthetic), amongst (among), etc., are other words that began their journey as typos, only to be eventually recognized as valid terms.

How Did “Expresso” Become “Acceptable”?

“Expresso” being included in dictionaries, such as Merriam Webster, doesn’t necessarily make the term “legitimate”. Dictionaries take in words based on how widely they are used among the general public and not based on their correctness.

There are or could be different reasons why “expresso” became a commonly used term among people.

One of the primary reasons “expresso” went on to become the alternate spelling of “espresso” is it’s more English than “espresso” could ever be. And that’s relatively understandable as “espresso” is an Italian word. English has more words that begin with “ex-” than terms that start with “es-“.

Another reason could be the French influence. “Expresso” is considered the right term or spelling for “espresso” in France. The French usage is believed to have rubbed off on English.

Also, “espresso” is made by pressing out water through darkly roasted, finely ground coffee beans at a relatively quick pace. A drip coffee maker can take up to five minutes for brewing. An espresso coffee maker would take around 30 seconds. The time to make an espresso shot, however, could slightly vary with the machine being used.

The “pressing” or “pushing” involved in the espresso coffee making process, or the “express” speed and swiftness with which the machine brewed coffee, particularly when compared to the percolators of that time, may have also contributed to the birthing of the “expresso” term.

That said, if you consider the meaning of “espresso”, it denotes “the process of making the coffee” and not necessarily the speed at which the coffee comes out of the machine. “Expresso” is, therefore, kind of a misnomer.

“Espresso” – Definition

The term “espresso” denotes a variant of thick, strong coffee. As briefly mentioned above, espresso coffee is made by pressing or pushing water via coffee beans in the espresso machine. This process churns out an extremely concentrated brew.

As an “espresso” is highly concentrated, it contains more caffeine than traditional coffee by volume. An espresso is, therefore, commonly taken in shot glasses rather than regular, large-size coffee cups.

Not to mention, espresso can be the base or major ingredient for multiple other coffee drinks besides being a standalone coffee drink. Those drinks are caffe latte, caffè macchiato, cappuccino, flat white, caffè mocha, caffè americano, etc. Moreover, espresso could also be a part of several savory and sweet foods, including affogato, tiramisu, espresso brownies, and espresso panna cotta.

As alluded to earlier, “espresso” is not an English word. It’s a “loanword” borrowed from Italian and incorporated into English in its original form, without modifying its spelling. In case you’re curious, the term has been borrowed from “caffè espresso”, which means “pressed-out coffee” in Italian.

The History of the Word “Espresso”

In 1884, Angelo Moriondo, a Turin-born inventor, was handed the patent for a steam-based machine that could instantaneously and cost-efficiently concoct coffee beverages. However, the term “espresso” came into being later when the device was refined and made better by Desiderio Pavoni and Luigi Bezzera.

By the mid-20th century, a café owner called Achille Gaggia came up with the first mass market-friendly espresso machine and patented it. Right from around that time, the word “espresso” was established and slowly became a household name among English language speakers.

Using the Term “Expresso/Espresso” in Texts

Since “expresso” is no longer the incorrect spelling of “espresso”, the two can be used interchangeably in sentences. Having said that, “espresso” is still more widely used than “expresso”, particularly by people who know their coffee and/or have not developed a liking to or scoff at how “expresso” came into being.

In U.S. English, “espresso” is the more widely accepted and used term. If you are using the word in texts catering to the U.S. audience, it’s advised to use “espresso” and not “expresso” in your sentences. Even in the U.K. and other English-speaking parts of the world, “espresso” is used in texts and oral communications.

The terms “expresso” and “espresso” have no region or dialect biases. It’s essentially about what’s conceived as correct. Most people who drink and/or know their coffee prefer to use “espresso” in their correspondences.

Should You Order for an “Espresso” or “Expresso”?

If you’re at the coffee shop and are not sure whether to ask for an “espresso” or “expresso”, don’t feel too helpless as the barista will pretty much always place the order for the right drink irrespective of which word you use.

If you say “expresso”, however, you may get a smirk in response from the barista or the coffee snob(s) standing behind you in the queue or besides in another line.

It will most likely always be “espresso” among the coffee literati. If you insist on or prefer to say “expresso”, be ready to be corrected or mocked by the purists.

And please do not say, “I would like to have an Espresso expresso.” The people around you, including the barista who is paid to serve you, may burst out in laughter, causing you tremendous embarrassment.

Example Sentences with the Word “Espresso”

As mentioned above, “expresso” is another word for “espresso”, and it’s becoming a lot more acceptable as a term. However, that cannot discard the fact that “espresso” is the default or original spelling, and “expresso” could still be considered incorrect spelling by more than a few coffee aficionados.

The following example sentences, therefore, incorporate the term “espresso”. However, you may replace “espresso” with “expresso” in the texts below.

• When driving to work every morning, there is always a long queue of cars waiting at the espresso shack close to my house.
• She likes drinking espresso while she studies or prepares for a test, as the drink helps her stay mentally alert and agile.
• He bought a new espresso machine as he was not too keen on getting an espresso shot at the nearby coffee shop anymore.
• I concluded my meal with a double espresso.
• The machines can brew professional-quality espresso within seconds.
• Try the roasted hazelnut along with the traditional Italian espresso.
• You would need the electric espresso machine for making the ideal cappuccino.
• The espresso served there wasn’t strong enough.
• They have a healthy selection of espresso machines, coffee grinders, and several other kitchen appliances.
• They could also be serving specialty coffees such as cappuccino, espresso, or latte.
• Specific commercial espresso machines could cost more than $20,000, based on the number of cups they make at a time and the automated features they pack in.
• The stainless-steel tamping tool is used with a Cuisinart espresso maker.
• The espresso makers used in restaurants often employ multiple portafilters to help pull three or more shots at once.
• Commercial espresso machines are a lot more expensive compared to the ones designed for home use.

Conclusion

There are a lot more coffee variants than what you may be familiar with. Therefore, it’s okay not to know them all, or not be familiar with the difference between a doppio and ristretto, or even a cappuccino or a latte. However, getting mixed up between “espresso” and “expresso” is deemed unacceptable.

Though “expresso” has been gaining wider acceptance with time, “espresso” is still the original term, or “expresso” will pretty much never dethrone “espresso” and become the primary term. This is irrespective of how “English” the term could be compared to “espresso”.

Simultaneously, “expresso” will continue to be used as a secondary term for “espresso”. Even if you despise the word, the number of people using “expresso” inadvertently or knowingly instead of “espresso” will only continue to increase.

The good news for the average “espresso cognoscenti”, however, is that “expresso” is nowhere close to “espresso” in terms of popularity.