sharpen

/ˈʃɑɹpən/

//ˈʃɑɹpən// verb

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

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

The verdict

“sharpen” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,990. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,990
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make sharp.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sharpen · sharpen · English

sharpen · rank #23,990 · 11 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,990
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sever

Nearest frequency peer: sever (-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 “sharpen”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sharpen” 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).

sharpen vs shaven
71% similar
sharpen vs sharps
71% similar
sharpen vs sharply
71% similar

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

Key facts for sharpen
PropertyValue
Headwordsharpen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈʃɑɹpən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#23,990
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sharpen”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).sharpenlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “sever” (#23,989), “shellfish” (#23,991), “settler” (#23,988). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sharpen” is #23,990. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around sharpen (IPA /ˈʃɑɹpən/), averb. Corpus frequency is #23,990 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for sharpen, with forms such as "hsarpen", "sahrpen", and "shapren". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "shaven", "sharps", "sharply", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English scharpenen, scharpnen, equivalent to sharp + -en. The correct English form is sharpen, spelled S-H-A-R-P-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make sharp.
  2. 2
    To become sharp.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to sharpen a pencil or a knife or a musical note
  2. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill.

Etymology

From Middle English scharpenen, scharpnen, equivalent to sharp + -en.

Synonyms

honewhet

Antonyms

bluntblur

This word in other languages

afilar(Español)affiler(Français)schärfen(Deutsch)afiar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hsarpen
  • sahrpen
  • shapren
  • sharepn
  • sharpenn
  • sharpne
  • sharppen
  • sharrpen
  • shharpen
  • shrapen
  • ssharpen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sharpen - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

hsarpen2sahrpen2shapren2sharepn2sharpenn1sharpne2sharppen1sharrpen1
Edit distance from "sharpen"

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 "sharpen"?
"sharpen" is spelled S-H-A-R-P-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃɑɹpən/.
What does "sharpen" mean?
As a verb, "sharpen" means: To make sharp.
What words are commonly confused with "sharpen"?
"sharpen" is commonly confused with "shaven", "sharps", "sharply". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sharpen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sharpen" is /ˈʃɑɹpən/. 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 "sharpen"?
From Middle English scharpenen, scharpnen, equivalent to sharp + -en. 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 "sharpen", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

settler#23,988Scorpio#23,986shutout#23,995solidly#24,004

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

ratchet11 variantsracking11 variantsprovost11 variantspowders11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list