Leasee or Lessee – Which Spelling Is Correct?

Have you heard the word “lessee” before? What about “leasee”? Yes, they sound very close and, when we move from spoken to written English, it is sometimes difficult to know how to write it properly. Worry not, you’re in the right place; read on and never make that mistake again.

Leasee or Lessee – Which Spelling Is Correct?

A “lessee” is an entity (individual or corporation) that can use a property because of an agreement with the property’s real owner. This operation is called “a lease”. Some people might misspell “lessee” and write it “leasee”. Yet, “leasee” isn’t a correct word in the English Language.

Because the original expression is “to lease” a property, some people make the mistake of writing “lessee” with the same “a” found in the original verb, spelling the word “leasee”. Although a very common mistake, the word “leasee” doesn’t exist in the English Language, and its use is considered a mistake.

Leasee

“Leasee” is a spelling mistake or typo that comes from the word “lease” which means that someone, through a leasing agreement with the real owner, has access to a property or land. The correct term to indicate such a person or entity is “lesee”.

Because “leasee” and “lessee” sound very similar, it is very common to make this mistake. That being said, it is important to avoid it, especially in written English. So, if someone was to ask you “is leasee a word?” the answer should be no.

We went to check the Cambridge Dictionary about the word “leasee” and found out that it is not in its vast database. Therefore, it is a confirmation that “leasee” is a spelling mistake that should be avoided.

Let’s see some incorrect examples of the word “leasee” instead of “lessee”. Bear in mind these are wrong and shouldn’t be replicated.

1. Incorrect: My new leasee is very lazy from what I’ve heard; he hasn’t mowed the lawn in months!
2. Incorrect: I’m very happy with my new leasee. It is a software company so they make zero noise.
3. Incorrect: Martha told me she was looking for a new leasee for her land; would you be interested?
4. Incorrect: The idea of becoming a leasee for 20 years sounds amazing! When can we do the paperwork?
5. Incorrect: I was a leasee all my life. It feels weird to be the owner now.

Lessee

“Lessee” is a perfectly correct English word used to talk about an entity (person or corporation) that gets permission to manage land or properties after signing a leasing agreement with the real owner.

To shed some light on the meaning of the word “lessee” we checked the almighty Cambridge Dictionary and we found similar definitions but with a broader scope. Indeed, the dictionary states that the term applies to any organization or individual making payments to use something owned by other organizations or people.

Let’s see how to use “lessee” in a sentence through these examples:

1. My new lessee is so cool I drop by often for a cup of tea and a chat.
2. Being a lessee is the greatest. If anything happens, I just call the owner!
3. I was afraid I was going to be rejected but we signed the agreement and I became a lessee!
4. My mother has a new lessee and she’s very happy with her, she takes really good care of the house.
5. This landowner is looking for a new lessee, so spread the word. I want to see candidates!

Which Is Used the Most?

Checking on words’ popularity levels with the Google Ngram Viewer is perfect to understand word usage. We entered “leasee” and “lessee” and these are the results:

While the word “leasee” has seen zero use in 120 years, the word “lessee” had its all-time peak in 1914 and has been in a negative trend ever since. Nowadays, “lessee” is at its all-time low.

Final Thoughts

The word “lessee” is used to talk about the person or organization that, through the signing of an agreement, gets access to property or land owned by a different person or organization. The word “leasee”, on the other hand, is a misspelling of “lessee” and should be avoided.