leven

/ˈlɛvən/

//ˈlɛvən// noun

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

The verdict

“leven” is uncommon English (frequency #53,659 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,659
frequency rank, English
16,425
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - eleven

Key facts for leven
PropertyValue
Headwordleven
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɛvən/
Letters5
Frequency rank#53,659
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “leven” 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). leven lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

leven is uncommon English at frequency #53,659 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɛvən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for leven, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: See levin. The correct English form is leven, spelled L-E-V-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    eleven
  2. 2
    Alternative spelling of levin (“lightning”).

Etymology

See levin.

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 "leven"?
"leven" is spelled L-E-V-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛvən/.
What does "leven" mean?
As a noun, "leven" means: eleven
How do you pronounce "leven"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "leven" is /ˈlɛvən/. 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 "leven"?
See levin. 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 “leven”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-E-V-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlɛvən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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