shaken
/ˈʃeɪk(ə)n/
"shaken" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“shaken” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,059 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #13,059
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Moved rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | shaken |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈʃeɪk(ə)n/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #13,059 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “shaken” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for shaken is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈʃeɪk(ə)n/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,059 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1Moved rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.
- 2Moved rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly.
- 3Caused to move (and usually weakened) by a strong force.
- 4Of a cask: taken to pieces which are then tied up together for transportation.
- 5Of something mined such as coal or ore: broken into pieces.
- 6Of timber: damaged from being cracked.
- 7Chiefly of a person: having had one's composure or confidence disrupted or upset; in a state of shock or trauma.
- 8Weakened by some event.
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
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.
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"?
What does "shaken" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "shaken"?
How do you pronounce "shaken"?
What is the origin of the word "shaken"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “shaken”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-H-A-K-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈʃeɪk(ə)n/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “shan” - see the side-by-side comparison. shaken vs shan
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.