# seven

> English word · Numeral · IPA /ˈsɛvən/ · frequency rank #884

## Definitions
1. A numerical value equal to 7; the number following six and preceding eight. This many dots: (•••••••). Describing a group or set with seven elements.

## Etymology
PIE word
 *septḿ̥
From Middle English seven, from Old English seofon (“seven”), from Proto-West Germanic *sebun (“seven”), from Proto-Germanic *sebun (“seven”), from Proto-Indo-European *septḿ̥ (“seven”).
Cognate with Scots seiven (“seven”), West Frisian sân (“seven”), Saterland Frisian soogen (“seven”), Low German söven (“seven”), Dutch zeven (“seven”), German sieben (“seven”), Danish syv (“seven”), Norwegian sju (“seven”), Icelandic sjö (“seven”), Latin septem (“seven”), Ancient Greek ἑπτά (heptá, “seven”), Russian семь (semʹ), Sanskrit सप्त (saptá).

## Easily confused with
- **Shen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-shen)
- **Sven** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-sven)
- **sewn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-sewn)
- **Steve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-steve)
- **sewer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-sewer)
- **siren** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-siren)
- **sexes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-sexes)
- **sheen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-sheen)
- **sever** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-sever)
- **sieve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-sieve)
- **sewed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-sewed)
- **steen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-steen)
- **severe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-severe)
- **Sweden** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-sweden)
- **Steven** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-steven)
- **Severn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-severn)
- **shaven** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-shaven)
- **seventh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-seventh)
- **Stevens** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-stevens)
- **seventy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seven-vs-seventy)

## Common misspellings (7)
`esven`, `seevn`, `sevenn`, `sevne`, `sevven`, `sseven`, `sveen`

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