deva

/ˈdeɪvə/

//ˈdeɪvə// noun

"deva" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deva” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #40,208 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#40,208
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A god in Vedic mythology, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

deva vs DV
0% similar
deva vs DNA
0% similar
deva vs DVD
0% similar

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

Key facts for deva
PropertyValue
Headworddeva
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdeɪvə/
Letters4
Frequency rank#40,208
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “deva” sits in English 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). deva 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 English entry for deva is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdeɪvə/. Corpus data places it at rank #40,208 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A god in Vedic mythology, Hinduism and Buddhism.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for deva, with forms such as "ddeva", "deav", and "devva". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "DV", "DNA", "DVD", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Transliteration of Sanskrit देव (deva, “deity, god”). Doublet of daeva. The correct English form is deva, spelled D-E-V-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A god in Vedic mythology, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Etymology

Transliteration of Sanskrit देव (deva, “deity, god”). Doublet of daeva.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddeva,deav,devva,dvea,edva

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of deva - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddeva1deav2devva1dvea2edva2
Edit distance from "deva"

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 "deva"?
"deva" is spelled D-E-V-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdeɪvə/.
What does "deva" mean?
As a noun, "deva" means: A god in Vedic mythology, Hinduism and Buddhism.
What words are commonly confused with "deva"?
"deva" is commonly confused with "DV", "DNA", "DVD". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "deva"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deva" is /ˈdeɪvə/. 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 "deva"?
Transliteration of Sanskrit देव (deva, “deity, god”). Doublet of daeva. 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.

Using “deva”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-V-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdeɪvə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “DV” - see the side-by-side comparison. deva vs DV
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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