vixen

/ˈvɪk.sən/

//ˈvɪk.sən// noun

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

"vixen" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vixen” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #31,402 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#31,402
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A female fox.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

vixen vs vie
60% similar
vixen vs VIX
0% similar
vixen vs view
60% similar

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

Key facts for vixen
PropertyValue
Headwordvixen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvɪk.sən/
Letters5
Frequency rank#31,402
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vixen” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for vixen is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɪk.sən/. Corpus data places it at rank #31,402 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for vixen, with forms such as "ivxen", "viexn", and "vixenn". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "vie", "VIX", "view", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Alteration of earlier fixen, from Middle English fixen, from Old English *fyxen (compare also Old English fyxe (“female fox”)), from Proto-West Germanic *fuhsini, from Proto-Germanic *fuhsinī; the voiced v- comes from the Southern dialectal forms of Middle … The correct English form is vixen, spelled V-I-X-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A female fox.
  2. 2
    A malicious, quarrelsome or temperamental woman.
  3. 3
    A racy or salacious woman who is sexually attractive; any attractive woman.
  4. 4
    A wife who has sex with other men with her husband's consent.

Etymology

Alteration of earlier fixen, from Middle English fixen, from Old English *fyxen (compare also Old English fyxe (“female fox”)), from Proto-West Germanic *fuhsini, from Proto-Germanic *fuhsinī; the voiced v- comes from the Southern dialectal forms of Middle English. Alternatively, from the Old English adjective fyxen (“of the fox”), as in the phrase fixen hȳd (“fox skin”; compare Middle English foxen fox).

This word in other languages

zorra(Español)renarde(Français)Füchsin(Deutsch)raposa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ivxen,viexn,vixenn,vixne,vixxen,vvixen,vxien

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ivxen2viexn2vixenn1vixne2vixxen1vvixen1vxien2
Edit distance from "vixen"

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 "vixen"?
"vixen" is spelled V-I-X-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɪk.sən/.
What does "vixen" mean?
As a noun, "vixen" means: A female fox.
What words are commonly confused with "vixen"?
"vixen" is commonly confused with "vie", "VIX", "view". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vixen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vixen" is /ˈvɪk.sən/. 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 "vixen"?
Alteration of earlier fixen, from Middle English fixen, from Old English *fyxen (compare also Old English fyxe (“female fox”)), from Proto-West Germanic *fuhsini, from Proto-Germanic *fuhsinī; the voiced v- comes from the Southern dialectal forms ... 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.

Using “vixen”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is V-I-X-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈvɪk.sən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “vie” - see the side-by-side comparison. vixen vs vie
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list