save

/seɪv/

//seɪv// verb

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

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

The verdict

“save” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #755. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#755
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To prevent harm or difficulty.

Corpus desk

Index EN-save · save · English

save · rank #755 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #755
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 54,294
  • PHOTO-FINISH round

Nearest frequency peer: round (-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 “save”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “save” 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).

save vs se
50% similar
save vs SV
0% similar
save vs she
50% similar

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

Key facts for save
PropertyValue
Headwordsave
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/seɪv/
Letters4
Frequency rank#755
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “save” 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). save 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 save (IPA /seɪv/), averb. Corpus frequency is #755 among 54,294 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 15 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for save, with forms such as "asve", "saev", and "savve". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "se", "SV", "she", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sl̥h₂-wós Proto-Italic *salawos Latin salvus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin salvō Latin salvāre Old French sauv… The correct English form is save, spelled S-A-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To prevent harm or difficulty.
  2. 2
    To prevent harm or difficulty.
  3. 3
    To prevent harm or difficulty.
  4. 4
    To prevent harm or difficulty.
  5. 5
    To prevent harm or difficulty.
  6. 6
    To prevent harm or difficulty.
  7. 7
    To put aside; to avoid.
  8. 8
    To put aside; to avoid.
  9. 9
    To put aside; to avoid.
  10. 10
    To put aside; to avoid.
  11. 11
    To put aside; to avoid.
  12. 12
    To put aside; to avoid.
  13. 13
    To put aside; to avoid.
  14. 14
    To put aside; to avoid.
  15. 15
    To put aside; to avoid.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She was saved from drowning by a passer-by.
  2. We were able to save a few of our possessions from the house fire.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sl̥h₂-wós Proto-Italic *salawos Latin salvus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin salvō Latin salvāre Old French sauverbor. Middle English saven English save From Middle English saven, sauven, a borrowing from Old French sauver, from Late Latin salvāre (“to save”).

This word in other languages

salvar(Español)sauver(Français)retten(Deutsch)ajudar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • asve
  • saev
  • savve
  • ssave
  • svae

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of save - 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.

asve2saev2savve1ssave1svae2
Edit distance from "save"

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 "save"?
"save" is spelled S-A-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /seɪv/.
What does "save" mean?
As a verb, "save" means: To prevent harm or difficulty.
What words are commonly confused with "save"?
"save" is commonly confused with "se", "SV", "she". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "save"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "save" is /seɪv/. 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 "save"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sl̥h₂-wós Proto-Italic *salawos Latin salvus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin salvō Latin salvāre Old F... 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 "save", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

rate#752blue#761fall#766fast#767

Similar misspelling depth

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

size5 variantspress5 variantspage5 variantspaid5 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