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

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2015-05-14</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>2015-05-14</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>20000.0</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>109494.4803</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2015-05-15</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1957.0</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>5.53</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>107537.4803</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Appreciation Rights</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>5.63</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2015-05-14</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>40000.0</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2016-05-14</value>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2025-05-14</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>40000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>40000</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The directly owned Common Stock holdings reflected in Table I of this form include 428 shares acquired under the ESI employee stock purchase plan on May 14, 2015.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Payment of tax liability by delivering shares incident to the vesting of restricted stock units in accordance with Rule 16b-3.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">SOSAR becomes exercisable for 25% of the shares on the first four anniversaries of the grant date.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: Paul R. Oldham, Attorney-in-Fact For: Bing-Fai Wong</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2015-05-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0306
4
2015-05-14
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
2015-05-14
4
A
0
20000.0
0.0
A
109494.4803
D
Common Stock
2015-05-15
4
F
0
1957.0
5.53
D
107537.4803
D
Stock Appreciation Rights
5.63
2015-05-14
4
A
0
40000.0
0.0
A
2016-05-14
2025-05-14
Common Stock
40000
40000
D
The directly owned Common Stock holdings reflected in Table I of this form include 428 shares acquired under the ESI employee stock purchase plan on May 14, 2015.
Payment of tax liability by delivering shares incident to the vesting of restricted stock units in accordance with Rule 16b-3.
SOSAR becomes exercisable for 25% of the shares on the first four anniversaries of the grant date.
By: Paul R. Oldham, Attorney-in-Fact For: Bing-Fai Wong
2015-05-18