save

Name: save, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/seɪv/

//seɪv// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“save” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #755 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#755
frequency rank, English: 4
letters: 5
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

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

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
Property	Value
Headword	save
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/seɪv/
Letters	4
Frequency rank	#755
Misspellings tracked	5
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (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:

#755

#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 save is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /seɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #755 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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

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.

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.

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.

Using “save”

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

The one correct English spelling is S-A-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /seɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “se” - see the side-by-side comparison. save vs se
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.