sean

[ˈsean]

/[ˈsean]/ verb

The verdict

“sean” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #13,691 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#13,691
frequency rank, German
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - 3. Person Plural Subjunktiv Präsens Aktiv des Verbs ser

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

sean vs Sn
25% similar
sean vs sei
50% similar
sean vs Sex
25% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for sean
PropertyValue
Headwordsean
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈsean]
Letters4
Frequency rank#13,691
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sean” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). sean lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for sean is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈsean]. Corpus data places it at rank #13,691 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for sean, with forms such as "esan", "saen", and "seann". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Sn", "sei", "Sex", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is sean, spelled S-E-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    3. Person Plural Subjunktiv Präsens Aktiv des Verbs ser
  2. 2
    3. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs ser

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: esan,saen,seann,sena,ssean

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sean - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

esan2saen2seann1sena2ssean1
Edit distance from "sean"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "sean"?
"sean" is spelled S-E-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈsean].
What does "sean" mean?
As a verb, "sean" means: 3. Person Plural Subjunktiv Präsens Aktiv des Verbs ser
What words are commonly confused with "sean"?
"sean" is commonly confused with "Sn", "sei", "Sex". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sean"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sean" is [ˈsean]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sean" come from?
"sean" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “sean”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is S-E-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈsean] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Sn” - see the side-by-side comparison. sean vs Sn
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list