seaman

/ˈsiːmən/

//ˈsiːmən// noun

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

The verdict

“seaman” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,501. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,501
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Synonym of sailor, particularly on a maritime vessel.

Corpus desk

Index EN-seaman · seaman · English

seaman · rank #22,501 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,501
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sensibility

Nearest frequency peer: sensibility (+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 “seaman”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “seaman” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

seaman vs sean
67% similar
seaman vs sedan
67% similar
seaman vs semen
67% similar

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

Key facts for seaman
PropertyValue
Headwordseaman
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsiːmən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#22,501
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “seaman”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).seamanlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “sensibility” (#22,502), “salah” (#22,498), “rung” (#22,497). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “seaman” is #22,501. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around seaman (IPA /ˈsiːmən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,501 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for seaman, with forms such as "esaman", "saeman", and "seaamn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "sean", "sedan", "semen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English seeman, seman, from Old English sǣmann. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Seemon (“seaman, sailor”), West Frisian seeman (“seaman, sailor”), Dutch zeeman (“seaman, sailor”), German Low German Seemann (“seaman, sailor”), German Seemann (“sea… The correct English form is seaman, spelled S-E-A-M-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Synonym of sailor, particularly on a maritime vessel.
  2. 2
    A person of the lowest rank in the Navy, below able seaman.
  3. 3
    An enlisted rate in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, ranking below petty officer third class and above seaman apprentice.
  4. 4
    A merman; the male of the mermaid.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.
  2. , Book III not to mention what is confidently reported of mermaids, or sea-men

Etymology

From Middle English seeman, seman, from Old English sǣmann. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Seemon (“seaman, sailor”), West Frisian seeman (“seaman, sailor”), Dutch zeeman (“seaman, sailor”), German Low German Seemann (“seaman, sailor”), German Seemann (“seaman, sailor”), Swedish sjöman (“seaman, sailor”), Norwegian sjømann (“seaman, sailor”). Equivalent to sea + -man.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • esaman
  • saeman
  • seaamn
  • seamann
  • seamman
  • seamna
  • semaan
  • sseaman

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

esaman2saeman2seaamn2seamann1seamman1seamna2semaan2sseaman1
Edit distance from "seaman"

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 "seaman"?
"seaman" is spelled S-E-A-M-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsiːmən/.
What does "seaman" mean?
As a noun, "seaman" means: Synonym of sailor, particularly on a maritime vessel.
What words are commonly confused with "seaman"?
"seaman" is commonly confused with "sean", "sedan", "semen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "seaman"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "seaman" is /ˈsiːmən/. 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 "seaman"?
From Middle English seeman, seman, from Old English sǣmann. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Seemon (“seaman, sailor”), West Frisian seeman (“seaman, sailor”), Dutch zeeman (“seaman, sailor”), German Low German Seemann (“seaman, sailor”), German See... 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 "seaman", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list