IR Spectroscopy
Esters will show prominent C=O stretches at the frequencies listed below. You can also look for the CO stretch, although this band appears in the same region(s) as a lot of other functional groups.
NMR Spectroscopy
If you are following this tutorial in sequence, you are already familiar with carbonyl groups (ketones, aldehydes), which shift the protons on adjacent carbons downfield. In esters, these protons are shifted to 2-2.2 ppm. The protons on the other side of the ester, meaning those attached to the carbon adjacent to a carbonyl group, is shifted less far, to 3.7-4.1 ppm. This is important in determining which way the ester function is situated in the molecule, O-C=O or -O=C-O.
Esters are named for the parent carboxylic acid. For instance, ethyl butanoate (CH3CH2CH2CO2CH2CH3) is derived from butanoic acid, CH3CH2CH2CO2H, with the ethyl group replacing the H. Similarly, an acetate is an ester of acetic acid (CH3CO2H), so propyl acetate is CH3CO2CH2CH2CH3. Note some slang in ether nomenclature, isoamyl is used more commonly than 3-methyl-1-butyl and propanoate is the same as propionate, butanoate is the same as butyrate.
Examples