<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2016-05-12</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000726514</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ELECTRO SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ESIO</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001435872</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Wong Bing-Fai</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>13900 NW SCIENCE PARK DR.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>PORTLAND</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>OR</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>97229</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>VP, Customer Operations</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-05-12</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10000.0</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>7.1146</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>97674.4803</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-05-12</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>18000.0</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>115674.4803</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-05-14</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1813.0</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>7.01</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>114361.4803</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-05-15</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1956.0</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>7.01</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>112405.4803</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The price indicated is the weighted average sale price for the shares sold.  The individual sale prices for the shares indicated range from $7.10 to $7.15.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The directly owned Common Stock holdings reflected in Table I of this form include 500 shares acquired under the ESI employee stock purchase plan on May 14, 2016.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Payment of tax liability by delivering shares incident to the vesting of restricted stock units in accordance with Rule 16b-3.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: Aric McKinnis, Attorney-in-Fact For: Bing-Fai Wong</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-05-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0306
4
2016-05-12
0
0000726514
ELECTRO SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIES INC
ESIO
0001435872
Wong Bing-Fai
13900 NW SCIENCE PARK DR.
PORTLAND
OR
97229
0
1
0
0
VP, Customer Operations
Common Stock
2016-05-12
4
S
0
10000.0
7.1146
D
97674.4803
D
Common Stock
2016-05-12
4
A
0
18000.0
0.0
A
115674.4803
D
Common Stock
2016-05-14
4
F
0
1813.0
7.01
D
114361.4803
D
Common Stock
2016-05-15
4
F
0
1956.0
7.01
D
112405.4803
D
The price indicated is the weighted average sale price for the shares sold.  The individual sale prices for the shares indicated range from $7.10 to $7.15.
The directly owned Common Stock holdings reflected in Table I of this form include 500 shares acquired under the ESI employee stock purchase plan on May 14, 2016.
Payment of tax liability by delivering shares incident to the vesting of restricted stock units in accordance with Rule 16b-3.
By: Aric McKinnis, Attorney-in-Fact For: Bing-Fai Wong
2016-05-16