Short answer: in English, the correct and standard spelling is espresso. It comes from Italian, where caffè espresso means coffee that has been "pressed out" and made expressly to order. Expresso, with an x, is a very common variant. In English it is usually treated as a misspelling, but it is not wrong everywhere: expresso is the normal, accepted spelling in French and Portuguese. Either way, both words name the exact same drink, a small concentrated shot of coffee.
The short answer: how to spell espresso
If you want one rule to remember, here it is: when you write in English, spell it espresso, with no x. Every major dictionary and style guide lists espresso as the headword, and the word travelled into English directly from Italian in the early 20th century. The Italian spelling has no x in it at all, so neither does the standard English one.
That said, you are in good company if you have ever typed expresso. The variant has appeared in English print since at least the 1950s, and dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster do record it, usually with a note that espresso is the preferred form. So expresso is best described as widely understood but non-standard in English, rather than a hard error that changes your meaning. Knowing how to spell espresso is really just knowing to drop the x.
So is it expresso or espresso?
Both, depending on the language. The honest answer to "is it expresso or espresso" is that the right spelling depends entirely on which language you are writing in:
- Italian: always espresso (the original source word).
- English: espresso is standard; expresso is a common but non-standard variant.
- French: expresso is normal and correct, alongside café express.
- Portuguese: expresso, as in café expresso, is the standard spelling.
Order a coffee in France or Brazil and the menu may well read expresso, often written café expresso, and you will even spot expresso café on a chalkboard, all pointing to the very same pressed shot. None of that makes the x correct in English; it simply explains why the spelling feels so natural to millions of people. There is no global coffee police here, only the convention of whichever language you happen to be using.
Where the word comes from, and why the x sneaks in
Espresso traces back to the Italian verb esprimere and the Latin exprimere, both meaning to press or squeeze out. The name captures two ideas at once. First, the coffee is literally pressed out of the grounds as hot water is forced through them under pressure. Second, it is made expressly, that is quickly and to order, for the person standing at the counter. Both senses fit the drink perfectly.
So where does the x come from? Mostly from the familiar English word express. We connect "express" with speed and with things done on demand, from an express train to express delivery, and an espresso is famously fast to pull. The brain fills in the missing x almost automatically. French nudges it along too, because French and Portuguese both spell the drink with that x. Put those influences together and "expresso" practically writes itself, even though the Italian original never had the letter.
This also settles the question of expresso meaning versus espresso meaning: they are identical. There is no separate "express" coffee that is faster, stronger or different in any way. It is one drink with two spellings, nothing more.
Expresso vs espresso at a glance
Here is the expresso vs espresso picture in one quick table.
| Spelling | Where it is standard | Status in English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| espresso | Italian, English, and most languages | Correct and preferred | A small, pressed-out coffee shot |
| expresso | French and Portuguese | Common but non-standard variant | The exact same drink |
Step outside those four languages and the picture stays remarkably consistent. German, Dutch and most others keep the Italian espresso untouched. Spanish is the interesting outlier: a short black coffee is usually a café solo, but you will also see expreso and café exprés, which lean on the same express idea without the double s. Wherever you travel, the drink is the same pressed shot; only the label shifts a letter or two.
How to pronounce espresso
The standard pronunciation is eh-SPRESS-oh, with the stress on the middle syllable and no hard "k" or "x" sound anywhere. The most common slip is "ek-SPRESS-oh", which inserts a k that the Italian word simply never had, exactly the same instinct that adds the x in writing. If you can say "espresso" without that little k at the front, you are saying it the way it began in the cafes of Italy. It is a small detail, and nobody should feel scolded for it, but it is an easy one to get right.
What espresso actually is
Whichever way you spell it, espresso is a small, concentrated shot of coffee made by forcing hot water through finely ground, compacted coffee under high pressure, around 9 bar, in roughly 25 to 30 seconds. The result is about a 1 oz (30 ml) shot crowned with crema, the golden-brown foam that signals a fresh extraction. It is intense and aromatic, meant to be sipped in a few mouthfuls rather than nursed like a mug of drip coffee.
For the full method, history and gear behind the shot, see our guide to espresso explained. That same shot is the foundation of almost every cafe order: add steamed milk, water or foam and you build the whole family covered in espresso drinks explained. If you are curious about the buzz, our notes on caffeine in espresso break down how a shot compares to a regular cup. And when a barista pulls a double, that is a doppio, two shots in one.
Which spelling should you use?
A quick rule of thumb you can actually use:
- Writing or ordering in English? Use espresso.
- Writing in French or Portuguese? Expresso is exactly right.
- Trying to match an Italian menu or recipe? Always espresso.
- Saw "expresso" on a sign abroad? It is not a typo, just the local spelling.
So if you have been quietly wondering whether to write expresso or espresso, you can relax. In English, reach for espresso and drop the x; in French or Portuguese, expresso is perfectly correct. It is one of those words that looks like a mistake only until you know its history, and there is no coffee snobbery required to get it right. Now that the spelling is sorted, the more interesting question is what to do with the shot itself, so pour one and explore the rest of the espresso family next.