safe

/seɪf/

//seɪf// adj

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

"safe" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“safe” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #914. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#914
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Not in danger; out of harm's reach.

Corpus desk

Index EN-safe · safe · English

safe · rank #914 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #914
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 54,294
  • PHOTO-FINISH published

Nearest frequency peer: published (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “safe”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “safe” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

safe vs se
50% similar
safe vs sf
50% similar
safe vs she
50% similar

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

Key facts for safe
PropertyValue
Headwordsafe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/seɪf/
Letters4
Frequency rank#914
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “safe” 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). safe lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around safe (IPA /seɪf/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #914 among 54,294 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for safe, with forms such as "asfe", "saef", and "saffe". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "se", "sf", "she", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sauf, safe, saf, saaf, from Old French sauf, saulf, salf (“safe”), from Latin salvus (“whole, safe”), from Proto-Italic *salwos, from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“whole, every”). Displaced native Old English sicor (secure, sure). The correct English form is safe, spelled S-A-F-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not in danger; out of harm's reach.
  2. 2
    Free from risk.
  3. 3
    Providing protection from danger; providing shelter.
  4. 4
    When a batter successfully reaches first base, or when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base or returns to the base he last occupied; not out.
  5. 5
    In a location that renders it difficult to pot.
  6. 6
    Properly secured.
  7. 7
    Not susceptible to a specified source of harm.
  8. 8
    Great, cool, awesome, respectable; a term of approbation, often as interjection.
  9. 9
    Supported by evidence and unlikely to be overturned. Usually used in the negative, as unsafe.
  10. 10
    Lenient, usually describing a teacher that is easy-going.
  11. 11
    Reliable; trusty.
  12. 12
    Certain; sure.
  13. 13
    Cautious.
  14. 14
    Of a programming language, type-safe or more generally offering well-defined behavior despite programming errors.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. You’ll be safe from the storm here in the cabin.
  2. It’s safe to eat this berry.

Etymology

From Middle English sauf, safe, saf, saaf, from Old French sauf, saulf, salf (“safe”), from Latin salvus (“whole, safe”), from Proto-Italic *salwos, from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“whole, every”). Displaced native Old English sicor (secure, sure).

Antonyms

unsafe

This word in other languages

seguro(Español)sauf(Français)sicher(Deutsch)salvo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • asfe
  • saef
  • saffe
  • sfae
  • ssafe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of safe - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

asfe2saef2saffe1sfae2ssafe1
Edit distance from "safe"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "safe"?
"safe" is spelled S-A-F-E. The IPA pronunciation is /seɪf/.
What does "safe" mean?
As an adjective, "safe" means: Not in danger; out of harm's reach.
What words are commonly confused with "safe"?
"safe" is commonly confused with "se", "sf", "she". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "safe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "safe" is /seɪf/. 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 "safe"?
From Middle English sauf, safe, saf, saaf, from Old French sauf, saulf, salf (“safe”), from Latin salvus (“whole, safe”), from Proto-Italic *salwos, from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“whole, every”). Displaced native Old English sicor (secure, sure). 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 "safe", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ones#909army#921loss#907goal#925

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).

huge5 variantsokay5 variantsaccess5 variantsbase5 variants
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