savage

/ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈsævɪd͡ʒ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“savage” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,616 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#6,616
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Wild; not cultivated or tamed.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

savage vs save
67% similar
savage vs stage
67% similar
savage vs sewage
67% similar

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

Key facts for savage
PropertyValue
Headwordsavage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,616
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “savage” 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). savage lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for savage is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,616 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for savage, with forms such as "asvage", "saavge", and "savaeg". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "save", "stage", "sewage", 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 savage, from Old French sauvage, salvage (“wild, untamed”), from Late Latin salvāticus, alteration of Latin silvāticus (“wild”, literally “of the woods”), from silva (“forest; grove”). Doublet of sylvatic. The correct English form is savage, spelled S-A-V-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Wild; not cultivated or tamed.
  2. 2
    Barbaric; not civilized.
  3. 3
    Primitive; lacking complexity or sophistication.
  4. 4
    Fierce and ferocious.
  5. 5
    Brutal, vicious, or merciless.
  6. 6
    Of an insult or person: disrespectful, audacious, and either blunt or sarcastic, in a hilarious way.
  7. 7
    Unpleasant or unfair.
  8. 8
    Great, brilliant, amazing.
  9. 9
    Severe, rude, aggressive.

Etymology

From Middle English savage, from Old French sauvage, salvage (“wild, untamed”), from Late Latin salvāticus, alteration of Latin silvāticus (“wild”, literally “of the woods”), from silva (“forest; grove”). Doublet of sylvatic.

Synonyms

animalisticbarbarianbarbaricbarbariousbarbarousbrutalbrutishGothicGothlikeheathenheathenishheathenlyheathenousincivilpagansavagetenebrosetruculentunciviluncivilizeduncouthuncultivateduncultureduplandishwolfish

Antonyms

civilizedculturednon-barbaricnonbarbarousnonheathennonpaganunbarbarousunheathenunpaganunsavage

This word in other languages

salvaje(Español)barbare(Français)wild(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: asvage,saavge,savaeg,savagge,savgae,savvage,ssavage,svaage

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

asvage2saavge2savaeg2savagge1savgae2savvage1ssavage1svaage2
Edit distance from "savage"

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 "savage"?
"savage" is spelled S-A-V-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "savage" mean?
As an adjective, "savage" means: Wild; not cultivated or tamed.
What words are commonly confused with "savage"?
"savage" is commonly confused with "save", "stage", "sewage". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "savage"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "savage" is /ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "savage"?
From Middle English savage, from Old French sauvage, salvage (“wild, untamed”), from Late Latin salvāticus, alteration of Latin silvāticus (“wild”, literally “of the woods”), from silva (“forest; grove”). Doublet of sylvatic. 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 “savage”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-A-V-A-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsævɪd͡ʒ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “save” - see the side-by-side comparison. savage vs save
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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