shaken

/ˈʃeɪk(ə)n/

//ˈʃeɪk(ə)n// adj

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

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

The verdict

“shaken” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,059. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,059
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Moved rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.

Corpus desk

Index EN-shaken · shaken · English

shaken · rank #13,059 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,059
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Seymour

Nearest frequency peer: Seymour (-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 “shaken”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “shaken” 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).

shaken vs shan
67% similar
shaken vs Shen
50% similar
shaken vs share
67% similar

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

Key facts for shaken
PropertyValue
Headwordshaken
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈʃeɪk(ə)n/
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,059
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “shaken”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).shakenlands 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 “Seymour” (#13,058), “Sheikh” (#13,060), “segregation” (#13,057). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “shaken” is #13,059. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around shaken (IPA /ˈʃeɪk(ə)n/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #13,059 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for shaken, with forms such as "hsaken", "sahken", and "shaekn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "shan", "Shen", "share", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: The verb is derived from Middle English (i)shaken, from (i- (prefix forming past participle forms of verbs)) + shaken (“to tremble, shake; etc.”) + -en (suffix forming past participle forms of verbs). The adjective is derived from the verb. By surface analy… The correct English form is shaken, spelled S-H-A-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Moved rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.
  2. 2
    Moved rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.
  3. 3
    Caused to move (and usually weakened) by a strong force.
  4. 4
    Of a cask: taken to pieces which are then tied up together for transportation.
  5. 5
    Of something mined such as coal or ore: broken into pieces.
  6. 6
    Of timber: damaged from being cracked.
  7. 7
    Chiefly of a person: having had one's composure or confidence disrupted or upset; in a state of shock or trauma.
  8. 8
    Weakened by some event.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [A] chief, / With shout and shaken spear / Stands at the prow, and guides them: […]
  2. For the moment she felt like a shaken child—shaken out of its wailings into awe, and she said humbly—"I will try. I will think."

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English (i)shaken, from (i- (prefix forming past participle forms of verbs)) + shaken (“to tremble, shake; etc.”) + -en (suffix forming past participle forms of verbs). The adjective is derived from the verb. By surface analysis, shake (verb) + -n (a variant of -en (suffix forming past participle forms of verbs; and adjectives)).

This word in other languages

erschüttert(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hsaken
  • sahken
  • shaekn
  • shakenn
  • shakken
  • shakne
  • shhaken
  • shkaen
  • sshaken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hsaken2sahken2shaekn2shakenn1shakken1shakne2shhaken1shkaen2
Edit distance from "shaken"

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 "shaken"?
"shaken" is spelled S-H-A-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃeɪk(ə)n/.
What does "shaken" mean?
As an adjective, "shaken" means: Moved rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.
What words are commonly confused with "shaken"?
"shaken" is commonly confused with "shan", "Shen", "share". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "shaken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shaken" is /ˈʃeɪk(ə)n/. 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 "shaken"?
The verb is derived from Middle English (i)shaken, from (i- (prefix forming past participle forms of verbs)) + shaken (“to tremble, shake; etc.”) + -en (suffix forming past participle forms of verbs). The adjective is derived from the verb. By sur... 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 "shaken", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Sheikh#13,060stared#13,065rugged#13,052strait#13,066

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Sylvia9 variantsrepost9 variantsViking9 variantsO'Connor9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list