leaven

/ˈlɛv.ən/

//ˈlɛv.ən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“leaven” is uncommon English (frequency #65,258 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,258
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any agent used to make dough rise or to have a similar effect on baked goods.

Corpus desk

Index EN-leaven · leaven · English

leaven · rank #65,258 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #65,258
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Lederer

Nearest frequency peer: Lederer (+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 “leaven”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for leaven
PropertyValue
Headwordleaven
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɛv.ən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#65,258
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “leaven” in English

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

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Lederer” (#65,259), “Lavin” (#65,255), “leftie” (#65,261). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “leaven” is #65,258. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

leaven is uncommon English at frequency #65,258 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɛv.ən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for leaven, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English levayn, borrowed from Old French levain, from Vulgar Latin *levāmen, a noun based on Latin levō (“raise”). The correct English form is leaven, spelled L-E-A-V-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any agent used to make dough rise or to have a similar effect on baked goods.
  2. 2
    Anything that induces change, especially a corrupting or vitiating change.
  3. 3
    Chametz.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
  2. On the far side was reflected a single red and meteoric cloud, which had treasured one last crimson ray from the sunset, or perhaps nursed within it the fiery leaven.

Etymology

From Middle English levayn, borrowed from Old French levain, from Vulgar Latin *levāmen, a noun based on Latin levō (“raise”).

Synonyms

leavening agentraising agent

This word in other languages

levadura(Español)levain(Français)Ferment(Deutsch)fermento(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 "leaven"?
"leaven" is spelled L-E-A-V-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛv.ən/.
What does "leaven" mean?
As a noun, "leaven" means: Any agent used to make dough rise or to have a similar effect on baked goods.
How do you pronounce "leaven"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "leaven" is /ˈlɛv.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 "leaven"?
From Middle English levayn, borrowed from Old French levain, from Vulgar Latin *levāmen, a noun based on Latin levō (“raise”). 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 "leaven", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

leftie#65,261lacuna#65,251Liffey#65,265lintel#65,268

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list