maven
ma·ven/ˈmeɪv(ə)n/noun
maven is spelled M-A-V-E-N: 5 letters and 2 syllables (ma·ven). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 33,636th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, maven means “An expert in a given field; also, a person who is interested in and knowledgeable about a particular activity or thing; an aficionado” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of maven is mavens.
How many letters and syllables are in maven?
| Letters | 5: M-A-V-E-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ma·ven |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 33,636th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is maven?
Maven appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 33,636th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce maven?
- UK /ˈmeɪvn̩/
- US /ˈmeɪv(ə)n/
Maven has 2 syllables, split ma·ven in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-maven.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of maven
- mavens plural
- mavin
- mayven
- mayvin
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does maven mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
USAn expert in a given field; also, a person who is interested in and knowledgeable about a particular activity or thing; an aficionado.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Maven in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense expert in a given field – see also expert:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | connaisseur, connaisseuse, spécialiste, virtuose |
| German | Experte, Expertin, Kenner, Kennerin |
| Portuguese | entendido, entendida, experto, experta |
| Spanish | entendido, entendida, perito |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does maven come from?
From Yiddish מבֿין (meyvn, “connoisseur, expert, know-it-all”), from Hebrew מֵבִין (mevín, “one who understands, connoisseur, expert”), from הֵבִין (hevín, “to understand”). The word is said to have been popularized by its use in an advertising campaign for Vita Herring launched in the United States in 1964, which had a character called the “beloved [herring] maven” promoting the product.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).