# yen

> English word · Noun · IPA /jɛn/ · frequency rank #10,800

## Definitions
1. The unit of Japanese currency (symbol: ¥) since 1871, divided into 100 sen.
2. A coin or note worth one yen.

## Etymology
From Medhurst and Hepburn’s romanizations, under the influence of earlier Portuguese romanizations, of Japanese 圓(えん) (en, “round; a round object”) as ye or yen, now 円(えん) (en), from Chinese 銀圓 /银圆 (yínyuán, “round silver object(s), especially a piece of eight”): 銀 /银 (yín, “silver”) + 圓 /圆 (yuán, “circular, round; yuan, yen, dollar”). Cognate with Chinese 元 (yuán, “monetary unit, especially RMB”) and Korean 원 (won, “North or South Korean won”). Doublet of won and yuan.

## Easily confused with
- **yo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yo)
- **yu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yu)
- **yr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yr)
- **Yi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yi)
- **yt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yt)
- **Ys** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-ys)
- **YG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yg)
- **YP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yp)
- **you** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-you)
- **yet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yet)
- **yes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yes)
- **yep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yep)
- **yup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yup)
- **yrs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yrs)
- **yoo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yoo)
- **yum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yum)
- **yer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yer)
- **yin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yin)
- **Yun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yun)
- **yew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/yen-vs-yew)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/yen