divan

/dɪˈvæn/

//dɪˈvæn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“divan” is uncommon English (frequency #51,069 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,069
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A Muslim council of state, specifically that of viziers of the Ottoman Empire that discussed and recommended new laws and law changes to a higher authority (the sultan).

Corpus desk

Index EN-divan · divan · English

divan · rank #51,069 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,069
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH disrepute

Nearest frequency peer: disrepute (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “divan”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “divan” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for divan
PropertyValue
Headworddivan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈvæn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#51,069
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “divan” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).divanfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “disrepute” (#51,068), “Dixit” (#51,070), “dispassionate” (#51,066). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “divan” is #51,069. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

divan is uncommon English at frequency #51,069 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /dɪˈvæn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

divan doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French, from Ottoman Turkish دیوان (divan), from Classical Persian دیوان (dēwān), from Middle Persian d(p)ywʾn' (dēwān, “archive, collected writings”), from Sumerian 𒁾 (dub). Compare mattress, from Arabic (both of Middle Eastern origin, due t… The correct English form is divan, spelled D-I-V-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A Muslim council of state, specifically that of viziers of the Ottoman Empire that discussed and recommended new laws and law changes to a higher authority (the sultan).
  2. 2
    The council chamber where this court is held; (by extension), any court of justice.
  3. 3
    Any council or assembly.
  4. 4
    A couch or sofa-like piece of furniture made of a mattress lying against the wall and on either the floor or an elevated structure.
  5. 5
    An establishment that serves cigars and coffee, and may offer other amenities such as books, newspapers, and chess.
  6. 6
    An establishment that serves cigars and coffee, and may offer other amenities such as books, newspapers, and chess.
  7. 7
    A collection of poems, especially one written by an author in Arabic or Persian.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Startled at such an unaccountable event, they sat in close divan; and concluding that the case was in all respects unnatural and prodigious, desired that a messenger might be immediately dispatched for some male practitioner in the art of midwifery.
  2. As I passed, I called at the mad-house; where I found Mac Fane and the scowling keeper in high divan.

Etymology

Borrowed from French, from Ottoman Turkish دیوان (divan), from Classical Persian دیوان (dēwān), from Middle Persian d(p)ywʾn' (dēwān, “archive, collected writings”), from Sumerian 𒁾 (dub). Compare mattress, from Arabic (both of Middle Eastern origin, due to the local custom of lying on padding on floor being foreign to Europeans). Doublet of dewan, douane, and diwaniya.

This word in other languages

diván(Español)divan(Français)Diwan(Deutsch)divã(Português)

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 "divan"?
"divan" is spelled D-I-V-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈvæn/.
What does "divan" mean?
As a noun, "divan" means: A Muslim council of state, specifically that of viziers of the Ottoman Empire that discussed and recommended new laws and law changes to a higher authority (the sultan).
How do you pronounce "divan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "divan" is /dɪˈvæn/. 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 "divan"?
Borrowed from French, from Ottoman Turkish دیوان (divan), from Classical Persian دیوان (dēwān), from Middle Persian d(p)ywʾn' (dēwān, “archive, collected writings”), from Sumerian 𒁾 (dub). Compare mattress, from Arabic (both of Middle Eastern ori... 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 "divan", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Dixit#51,070culpa#51,049cuddy#51,048chomp#51,020

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list