# seem

> English word · Verb · IPA /siːm/ · frequency rank #883

## Definitions
1. To appear; to look outwardly; to be perceived as.
2. To befit; to beseem.

## Etymology
From Middle English semen (“to seem, befit, be becoming”), from Old Norse sœma (“to conform to, beseem, befit”), from Proto-Germanic *sōmijaną (“to unite, fit”), from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one; whole”). Cognate with Scots seme (“to be fitting; beseem”), Danish sømme (“to beseem”), Old Swedish søma, Faroese søma (“to be proper”). Related also to Old Norse sómi (“honour”) ( > archaic Danish somme (“decent comportment”)), Old Norse sœmr (“fitting, seemly”), Old English sēman (“to reconcile, bring an agreement”), Old English sōm (“agreement”).

## Easily confused with
- **SM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sm)
- **she** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-she)
- **set** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-set)
- **sex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sex)
- **sum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sum)
- **sue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sue)
- **sen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sen)
- **SEO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-seo)
- **SEP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sep)
- **SIM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sim)
- **ser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-ser)
- **sew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sew)
- **ses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-ses)
- **sem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sem)
- **som** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-som)
- **SEQ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-seq)
- **sie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sie)
- **SME** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sme)
- **SSE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sse)
- **soe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-soe)

## Common misspellings (4)
`esem`, `seemm`, `seme`, `sseem`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/seem