self-evident

adj

"self-evident" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“self-evident” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Obviously true, and requiring no proof, argument or explanation, axiomatic.

Corpus desk

Index EN-self-evident · self-evident · English

self-evident · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for self-evident
PropertyValue
Headwordself-evident
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “self-evident” in English

self-evidentsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

self-evident is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Obviously true, and requiring no proof, argument or explanation, axiomatic.".

self-evident has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From self- + evident. The correct English form is self-evident, spelled S-E-L-F---E-V-I-D-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Obviously true, and requiring no proof, argument or explanation, axiomatic.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
  2. Who were these people who took refuge behind a few honoured but misguided names? What right had they to expect serious men of science to suspend their labours in order to waste time in examining their wild surmises? Some things were self-evident and did not require proof.

Etymology

From self- + evident.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "self-evident"?
"self-evident" is spelled S-E-L-F---E-V-I-D-E-N-T.
What does "self-evident" mean?
As an adjective, "self-evident" means: Obviously true, and requiring no proof, argument or explanation, axiomatic.
What is the origin of the word "self-evident"?
From self- + evident. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list