Samuel

/ˈsæmjuːəl/

//ˈsæmjuːəl// name

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

The verdict

“Samuel” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,261. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,261
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A male given name from Hebrew.

Corpus desk

Index EN-samuel · Samuel · English

Samuel · rank #5,261 · 8 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,261
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH routes

Nearest frequency peer: routes (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “Samuel”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “Samuel” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Samuel vs Saul
67% similar
Samuel vs Sauer
67% similar
Samuel vs sequel
50% similar

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

Key facts for Samuel
PropertyValue
HeadwordSamuel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈsæmjuːəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#5,261
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Samuel”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).Samuellands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “routes” (#5,260), “sandy” (#5,262), “restricted” (#5,259). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “Samuel” is #5,261. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around Samuel (IPA /ˈsæmjuːəl/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #5,261 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for Samuel, with forms such as "asmuel", "sameul", and "sammuel". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "Saul", "Sauer", "sequel", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin Samuēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “'God has set' or 'God has placed'”). Taken to mean a contraction of popular folk etymology שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל (“I have asked/borrowed him from God”)… The correct English form is Samuel, spelled S-A-M-U-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male given name from Hebrew.
  2. 2
    One of two books of the Old Testament and the Hebrew Tanakh.
  3. 3
    The primary author and central character of the first book of Samuel.
  4. 4
    A surname.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It was quite unnecessary to call Samuel Weller; for Samuel Weller stepped briskly into the box the instant his name was pronounced; and placing his hat on the floor, and his arms on the rail, took a bird’s–eye view of the Bar, and a comprehensive survey of the Bench, with a remarkably cheerful and lively aspect. ‘What’s your name, sir?’ inquired the judge…
  2. I went down the dark road between the hawthorn hedges puzzling over the why of like, repeating SAMUEL to myself and aloud and listening to the rolling wonder in its sound that had charmed her soul and led her life in tragic places. SAMUEL! There was a rolling wonder in the sound. Aye, there was!

Etymology

From Latin Samuēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “'God has set' or 'God has placed'”). Taken to mean a contraction of popular folk etymology שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל (“I have asked/borrowed him from God”) (Modern: Šəʾīltīv mēʾĒl, Tiberian: Šĭʾīltīw mēʾĒl) by way of שָׁאוּל מֵאֵל (“asked/borrowed from God”) from 1 Samuel 1:20.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • asmuel
  • sameul
  • sammuel
  • samuell
  • samule
  • saumel
  • smauel
  • ssamuel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Samuel - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

asmuel2sameul2sammuel1samuell1samule2saumel2smauel2ssamuel1
Edit distance from "Samuel"

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 "Samuel"?
"Samuel" is spelled S-A-M-U-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsæmjuːəl/.
What does "Samuel" mean?
As a proper noun, "Samuel" means: A male given name from Hebrew.
What words are commonly confused with "Samuel"?
"Samuel" is commonly confused with "Saul", "Sauer", "sequel". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Samuel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Samuel" is /ˈsæmjuːəl/. 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 "Samuel"?
From Latin Samuēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “'God has set' or 'God has placed'”). Taken to mean a contraction of popular folk etymology שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל (“I have asked/borrowed him ... 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 "Samuel", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list