scavenger

/ˈskæv.ən.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/

//ˈskæv.ən.d͡ʒə(ɹ)// noun

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

"scavenger" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scavenger” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,008. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,008
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone who scavenges, especially one who searches through rubbish for food or useful things.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scavenger · scavenger · English

scavenger · rank #28,008 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,008
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH scaffold

Nearest frequency peer: scaffold (-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 “scavenger”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “scavenger” 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
Key facts for scavenger
PropertyValue
Headwordscavenger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskæv.ən.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/
Letters9
Frequency rank#28,008
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “scavenger”

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).scavengerlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “scaffold” (#28,007), “schooner” (#28,009), “scion” (#28,010). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scavenger” is #28,008. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around scavenger (IPA /ˈskæv.ən.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,008 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for scavenger, with forms such as "csavenger", "sacvenger", and "scaevnger". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Originally from Middle English scavager, from Anglo-Norman scawageour (“one who had to do with scavage, inspector, tax collector”), from Old Northern French *scawage, escauwage (“scavage”), Old French *scavage, escavage, alteration of escauvinghe (compare M… The correct English form is scavenger, spelled S-C-A-V-E-N-G-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who scavenges, especially one who searches through rubbish for food or useful things.
  2. 2
    An animal that feeds on decaying matter such as carrion.
  3. 3
    A street sweeper.
  4. 4
    A child employed to pick up loose cotton from the floor in a cotton mill.
  5. 5
    A substance used to remove impurities from the air or from a solution.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. garbage scavenger
  2. A scavenger picked through the rubbish heap.

Etymology

Originally from Middle English scavager, from Anglo-Norman scawageour (“one who had to do with scavage, inspector, tax collector”), from Old Northern French *scawage, escauwage (“scavage”), Old French *scavage, escavage, alteration of escauvinghe (compare Medieval Latin scewinga, sceawinga), from Old Dutch scauwōn (“to inspect, to examinate, to look at”). Usually reinterpreted/re-analysed today as scavenge (which was originally a backformation from this word) + -er. Compare Old English sċēawung (“a showing, spectacle, examination, inspection, toll on exposure of goods”) and Dutch schouwing (“inspection”). More at show.

This word in other languages

pepenador(Español)charognard(Français)Aasfresser(Deutsch)necrófago(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • csavenger
  • sacvenger
  • scaevnger
  • scavegner
  • scavenegr
  • scavengerr
  • scavengger
  • scavengre
  • scavennger
  • scavneger
  • scavvenger
  • sccavenger
  • scvaenger
  • sscavenger

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

csavenger2sacvenger2scaevnger2scavegner2scavenegr2scavengerr1scavengger1scavengre2
Edit distance from "scavenger"

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 "scavenger"?
"scavenger" is spelled S-C-A-V-E-N-G-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskæv.ən.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/.
What does "scavenger" mean?
As a noun, "scavenger" means: Someone who scavenges, especially one who searches through rubbish for food or useful things.
What are common misspellings of "scavenger"?
Common misspellings include "csavenger", "sacvenger", "scaevnger", "scavegner", "scavenegr". The correct spelling is "scavenger".
How do you pronounce "scavenger"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scavenger" is /ˈskæv.ən.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/. 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 "scavenger"?
Originally from Middle English scavager, from Anglo-Norman scawageour (“one who had to do with scavage, inspector, tax collector”), from Old Northern French *scawage, escauwage (“scavage”), Old French *scavage, escavage, alteration of escauvinghe ... 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 "scavenger", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

servitude#28,015Siegfried#28,019steamboat#28,032Steinberg#28,033

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

terminally14 variantsTownsville14 variantstruncated14 variantsolfactory14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list