servir

[seɾˈβ̞iɾ]

/[seɾˈβ̞iɾ]/ verb

The verdict

“servir” is a regularly-used Spanish word, ranked #2,475 in Spanish word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,475
frequency rank, Spanish
6
letters
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ser útil para algo.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

servir vs sirvió
67% similar
servir vs surgir
67% similar
servir vs surtir
67% similar

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

Key facts for servir
PropertyValue
Headwordservir
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[seɾˈβ̞iɾ]
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,475
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “servir” sits in Spanish 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). servir 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 Spanish entry for servir is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [seɾˈβ̞iɾ]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,475 in overall Spanish word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for servir, with forms such as "cervir", "esrvir", and "serbir". 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, "sirvió", "surgir", "surtir", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct Spanish form is servir, spelled S-E-R-V-I-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ser útil para algo.
  2. 2
    Estar al servicio de alguien.
  3. 3
    Ser capaz de reemplazar el rol de otro.
  4. 4
    Funcionar.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cervir,esrvir,serbir,serivr,serrvir,servirr,servri,servvir,sevrir,srevir,sservir

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cervir1esrvir2serbir1serivr2serrvir1servirr1servri2servvir1
Edit distance from "servir"

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "servir"?
"servir" is spelled S-E-R-V-I-R. The IPA pronunciation is [seɾˈβ̞iɾ].
What does "servir" mean?
As a verb, "servir" means: Ser útil para algo.
What words are commonly confused with "servir"?
"servir" is commonly confused with "sirvió", "surgir", "surtir". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "servir"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "servir" is [seɾˈβ̞iɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "servir" come from?
"servir" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “servir”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is S-E-R-V-I-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [seɾˈβ̞iɾ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “sirvió” - see the side-by-side comparison. servir vs sirvió
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish 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