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raven

rav·en/ˈɹeɪvən/noun, adjective, verb

raven is spelled R-A-V-E-N: 5 letters and 2 syllables (rav·en). It appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, raven means “Any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage; especially the common raven (Corvus corax)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of raven is ravens.

How many letters and syllables are in raven?

Letters5: R-A-V-E-N
Syllables2: rav·en
In writing6.2 times per million words; the 9,735th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 raven?

Raven appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th 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 raven?

  • UK /ˈɹeɪvn̩/
  • US /ˈɹeɪvən/

As a noun (“Alternative spelling of ravin”): /ˈɹæv(ɪ)n/, /ˈɹæv(ə)n/.

Raven has 2 syllables, split rav·en in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-raven.wav, En-us-raven.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-raven_(not_bird).wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with raven

Also written: ravin.

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of raven

  • ravens plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • ravening participle, present
  • ravened participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does raven mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage; especially the common raven (Corvus corax).

  2. 2

    A jet-black, often glossy, colour, like that of the plumage of a raven (etymology 1, noun sense 1).

    Near-synonyms: ebony, onyx

  3. 3

    archaicUsually preceded by a descriptive word: a bird from a genus other than Corvus that resembles the raven (etymology 1, noun sense 1), especially in having black plumage; also, an imaginary black bird.

  4. 4

    A flag bearing a raven (etymology 1, noun sense 1), formerly used by some Viking leaders

  5. 5

    preceded by the: Viking military power.

  6. 6

    A person, especially a man, with black hair.

  7. 7

    obsoleteA person who brings bad news or makes pessimistic predictions.

  8. 8

    Alternative spelling of ravin.

adjective

  1. 1

    Of the jet-black and often glossy colour of the plumage of a raven (etymology 1, noun sense 1).

    Near-synonyms: ebony, onyx

verb

  1. 1

    archaicSometimes followed by away or from: to obtain or seize (something, especially property) by force or violence; to plunder.

  2. 2

    archaicSometimes followed by down, up, or (obsolete) in: to eat (something, such as food or prey) greedily; to devour, to wolf down.

  3. 3

    To absorb or take in (something, such as information) greedily; also, to approach or pounce on (someone) like prey.

  4. 4

    Followed by about, after, or for: to go after or seek for something, especially booty or spoils; to maraud, to plunder; also (generally), to move about wildly and cause damage; to rampage.

  5. 5

    To eat greedily; also, followed by on or upon: of an animal: to prey on.

  6. 6

    Sometimes followed by about or on: to move about searching for food or prey ravenously.

  7. 7

    Sometimes followed by after or for: to have a ravenous appetite or craving for food or prey.

  8. 8

    Originally followed by with: to experience great hunger; to be ravenous.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Raven in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchgrand corbeau, corbeau (any of several, generally large, species of…), noir corbeau (of the jet-black and often glossy colour of the…)
GermanRabe, Kolkrabe (any of several, generally large, species of…), rabenschwarz (of the jet-black and often glossy colour of the…)
Portuguesecorvo (any of several, generally large, species of…)
Spanishcuervo, corneja (any of several, generally large, species of…)

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 raven come from?

From Middle English raven, reven (“raven (Corvus corax); carrion crow (Corvus corone); rook (Corvus frugilegus) (?); the constellation Corvus; gall nuts of the Aleppo oak (Quercus infectoria) used to make black ink”), from Old English hræfn (“raven”), from Proto-West Germanic *hrabn (“raven”), from Proto-Germanic *hrabnaz (“raven”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *ḱrep- (“to crackle; to rattle”) or *ḱer- (“to croak, crow”), probably ultimately onomatopoeic, referring to the bird’s call.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after raven