coven

/ˈkʌv.ən/

//ˈkʌv.ən// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"coven" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“coven” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,883. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,883
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A nunnery, a convent

Corpus desk

Index EN-coven · coven · English

coven · rank #28,883 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,883
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH coursework

Nearest frequency peer: coursework (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “coven”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “coven” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

coven vs cover
80% similar
coven vs COVID
0% similar
coven vs cowan
60% similar

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

Key facts for coven
PropertyValue
Headwordcoven
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌv.ən/
Letters5
Frequency rank#28,883
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “coven”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “coursework” (#28,882), “criminology” (#28,884), “Corinne” (#28,881). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “coven” is #28,883. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around coven (IPA /ˈkʌv.ən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,883 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for coven, with forms such as "ccoven", "coevn", and "covenn". 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, "cover", "COVID", "cowan", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English covent, from Anglo-Norman covent, cuvent, from Old French covent, from Latin conventum, from conveniō, from cum (“with”) and venio (“to come”). Doublet of convent. The correct English form is coven, spelled C-O-V-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A nunnery, a convent
  2. 2
    A confederacy or band of people (obsolete)
  3. 3
    A formal group or assembly of witches.
  4. 4
    In fantasy fiction, a family, group or assembly of vampires.
  5. 5
    A clique that shares common interests or activities.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how coven appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. A coven of witches is traditionally composed of thirteen members of either sex, with one of them acting as officer or priest.
  2. “This is a very African area”, he said as they maneuvered their way among the covens of menacing children gathered in the halls.

Etymology

From Middle English covent, from Anglo-Norman covent, cuvent, from Old French covent, from Latin conventum, from conveniō, from cum (“with”) and venio (“to come”). Doublet of convent.

This word in other languages

aquelarre(Español)sabbat(Français)Hexenzirkel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccoven
  • coevn
  • covenn
  • covne
  • covven
  • cvoen
  • ocven

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of coven - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccoven1coevn2covenn1covne2covven1cvoen2ocven2
Edit distance from "coven"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "coven"?
"coven" is spelled C-O-V-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌv.ən/.
What does "coven" mean?
As a noun, "coven" means: A nunnery, a convent
What words are commonly confused with "coven"?
"coven" is commonly confused with "cover", "COVID", "cowan". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "coven"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coven" is /ˈkʌv.ən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "coven"?
From Middle English covent, from Anglo-Norman covent, cuvent, from Old French covent, from Latin conventum, from conveniō, from cum (“with”) and venio (“to come”). Doublet of convent. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "coven", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

duchy#28,900celeb#28,863capes#28,860Epsom#28,910

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

bugger7 variantsbower7 variantsfemur7 variantsbanda7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list