Geneva

/d͡ʒəˈniːvə/

//d͡ʒəˈniːvə// name

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

"geneva" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Geneva” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,137 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#7,137
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The capital city of Geneva canton, Switzerland.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Geneva vs Genoa
67% similar
Geneva vs gene
50% similar
Geneva vs genes
50% similar

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

Key facts for Geneva
PropertyValue
HeadwordGeneva
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/d͡ʒəˈniːvə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,137
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Geneva” 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). Geneva 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 Geneva is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /d͡ʒəˈniːvə/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,137 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 28 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for Geneva, with forms such as "egneva", "geenva", and "geneav". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "Genoa", "gene", "genes", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Mentioned in Latin texts as Genava. Probably via a Proto-Celtic *genwā from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénw-eh₂ (“knee”), a derivative of *ǵónu in the sense of a bending river or estuary, possibly akin to Genoa. The correct English form is Geneva, spelled G-E-N-E-V-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    The capital city of Geneva canton, Switzerland.
  2. 2
    A canton of Switzerland.
  3. 3
    The largest lake in Switzerland: see Lake Geneva.
  4. 4
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    A locality in the Kyogle council area, north eastern New South Wales, Australia.
  27. 27
    A female given name transferred from the place name or confused with Genevieve or Ginevra.
  28. 28
    The Geneva Convention.

Etymology

Mentioned in Latin texts as Genava. Probably via a Proto-Celtic *genwā from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénw-eh₂ (“knee”), a derivative of *ǵónu in the sense of a bending river or estuary, possibly akin to Genoa.

This word in other languages

Ginebra(Español)Genève(Français)Genf(Deutsch)Genebra(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: egneva,geenva,geneav,genevva,genneva,genvea,ggeneva,gneeva

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

egneva2geenva2geneav2genevva1genneva1genvea2ggeneva1gneeva2
Edit distance from "Geneva"

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 "Geneva"?
"Geneva" is spelled G-E-N-E-V-A. The IPA pronunciation is /d͡ʒəˈniːvə/.
What does "Geneva" mean?
As a proper noun, "Geneva" means: The capital city of Geneva canton, Switzerland.
What words are commonly confused with "Geneva"?
"Geneva" is commonly confused with "Genoa", "gene", "genes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Geneva"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Geneva" is /d͡ʒəˈniːvə/. 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 "Geneva"?
Mentioned in Latin texts as Genava. Probably via a Proto-Celtic *genwā from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénw-eh₂ (“knee”), a derivative of *ǵónu in the sense of a bending river or estuary, possibly akin to Genoa. 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 “Geneva”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-E-N-E-V-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /d͡ʒəˈniːvə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Genoa” - see the side-by-side comparison. Geneva vs Genoa
  • 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