Abstract: A surface elastic wave filter has a pair of electrodes on a surface of a piezoelectric body, and at least one of the electrodes is constructed as electrode fingers in the form of comb teeth which are progressively spread away from each other along a direction normal to the direction in which a surface elastic wave is propagated on the surface of the piezoelectric body. A grating or dot structure as a scattering reflector for scattering and reflecting a portion of the surface elastic wave is disposed in a desired position between the electrodes. Alternatively, some of electrode fingers of a surface elastic wave filter are dropped or removed, or divided voltages are applied to electrode fingers, or a scattering reflector is added to a filter with some of its electrode fingers removed or with divided voltages applied to electrode fingers. With such an arrangement, a filter having good selectivity and desired frequency characteristics can be achieved.