screen

/skɹiːn/

//skɹiːn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“screen” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,501 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,501
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A physical divider intended to block an area from view, or provide shelter from something dangerous.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

screen vs seen
67% similar
screen vs screw
67% similar
screen vs spree
67% similar

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

Key facts for screen
PropertyValue
Headwordscreen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/skɹiːn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,501
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “screen” 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). screen 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 screen is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /skɹiːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,501 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for screen, with forms such as "csreen", "sccreen", and "sceren". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "seen", "screw", "spree", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English scren, screne (“windscreen, firescreen”), from Anglo-Norman escren (“firescreen, the tester of a bed”), Old French escren, escrein, escran (modern French écran (“screen”)), from Middle Dutch scherm, from Old Dutch skirm, from Proto-West … The correct English form is screen, spelled S-C-R-E-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A physical divider intended to block an area from view, or provide shelter from something dangerous.
  2. 2
    A material woven from fine wires intended to block animals or large particles from passing while allowing gasses, liquids and finer particles to pass.
  3. 3
    A material woven from fine wires intended to block animals or large particles from passing while allowing gasses, liquids and finer particles to pass.
  4. 4
    A material woven from fine wires intended to block animals or large particles from passing while allowing gasses, liquids and finer particles to pass.
  5. 5
    Searching through a sample for a target; an act of screening, or the method for it.
  6. 6
    Searching through a sample for a target; an act of screening, or the method for it.
  7. 7
    Various forms or formats of information display
  8. 8
    Various forms or formats of information display
  9. 9
    Various forms or formats of information display
  10. 10
    Various forms or formats of information display
  11. 11
    Various forms or formats of information display
  12. 12
    A disguise; concealment.
  13. 13
    Definitions related to standing in the path of an opposing player
  14. 14
    Definitions related to standing in the path of an opposing player
  15. 15
    An erection of white canvas or wood placed on the boundary opposite a batsman to make the ball more easily visible.
  16. 16
    A collection of less-valuable vessels that travel with a more valuable one for the latter's protection.
  17. 17
    A dwarf wall or partition carried up to a certain height for separation and protection, as in a church, to separate the aisle from the choir, etc.
  18. 18
    A large scarf.

Etymology

From Middle English scren, screne (“windscreen, firescreen”), from Anglo-Norman escren (“firescreen, the tester of a bed”), Old French escren, escrein, escran (modern French écran (“screen”)), from Middle Dutch scherm, from Old Dutch skirm, from Proto-West Germanic *skirmi, from Proto-Germanic *skirmiz (“fur, shelter, covering, screen”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut, divide”). Cognate with Dutch scherm (“screen”), German Schirm (“screen”). Doublet of scherm. An alternative etymology derives Old French escren, escran from Old Dutch *scranc (“barrier”) (compare Middle Dutch schranc, schranke (“palisade, trellis, grid”), German Schrank (“cupboard, cabinet”), German Schranke (“fence”)), from Proto-West Germanic *skrank, from Proto-Germanic *skrankaz.

This word in other languages

mampara(Español)paravent(Français)Schirm(Deutsch)anteparo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: csreen,sccreen,sceren,screenn,scren,screne,scrreen,srceen,sscreen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

csreen2sccreen1sceren2screenn1scren1screne2scrreen1srceen2
Edit distance from "screen"

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 "screen"?
"screen" is spelled S-C-R-E-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /skɹiːn/.
What does "screen" mean?
As a noun, "screen" means: A physical divider intended to block an area from view, or provide shelter from something dangerous.
What words are commonly confused with "screen"?
"screen" is commonly confused with "seen", "screw", "spree". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "screen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "screen" is /skɹiːn/. 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 "screen"?
From Middle English scren, screne (“windscreen, firescreen”), from Anglo-Norman escren (“firescreen, the tester of a bed”), Old French escren, escrein, escran (modern French écran (“screen”)), from Middle Dutch scherm, from Old Dutch skirm, from P... 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 “screen”

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

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