several

/ˈsɛv.(ə.)ɹəl/

//ˈsɛv.(ə.)ɹəl// adj

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

"several" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“several” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #404. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#404
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Separate, distinct; particular.

Corpus desk

Index EN-several · several · English

several · rank #404 · 10 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #404
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH room

Nearest frequency peer: room (-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 “several”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “several” 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).

several vs severe
71% similar
several vs Severn
57% similar
several vs severed
71% similar

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

Key facts for several
PropertyValue
Headwordseveral
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsɛv.(ə.)ɹəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#404
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “several”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).severallands 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 “room” (#403), “started” (#405), “research” (#402). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “several” is #404. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around several (IPA /ˈsɛv.(ə.)ɹəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #404 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for several, with forms such as "esveral", "seevral", and "sevearl". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "severe", "Severn", "severed", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman several, from Medieval Latin sēparālis, from Latin sēpar (“separate”). By surface analysis, sever + -al. Not related to severe or seven. The correct English form is several, spelled S-E-V-E-R-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Separate, distinct; particular.
  2. 2
    A number of different; various.
  3. 3
    Separable, capable of being treated separately.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Here is the will, and under Caesar's seal. To every Roman citizen he gives, to every several man, seventy-five drachmas.
  2. He had a religion apart: a God severall unto himselfe, whom his subjects might no waies adore.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman several, from Medieval Latin sēparālis, from Latin sēpar (“separate”). By surface analysis, sever + -al. Not related to severe or seven.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • esveral
  • seevral
  • sevearl
  • severall
  • severla
  • severral
  • sevreal
  • sevveral
  • sseveral
  • sveeral

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of several - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

esveral2seevral2sevearl2severall1severla2severral1sevreal2sevveral1
Edit distance from "several"

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 "several"?
"several" is spelled S-E-V-E-R-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛv.(ə.)ɹəl/.
What does "several" mean?
As an adjective, "several" means: Separate, distinct; particular.
What words are commonly confused with "several"?
"several" is commonly confused with "severe", "Severn", "severed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "several"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "several" is /ˈsɛv.(ə.)ɹəl/. 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 "several"?
From Anglo-Norman several, from Medieval Latin sēparālis, from Latin sēpar (“separate”). By surface analysis, sever + -al. Not related to severe or seven. 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 "several", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

started#405history#397problem#391control#384

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

thanks10 variantsmonths10 variantsspecial10 variantstrying10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list