Key chain or keychain?
key chain is a noun meaning “Alternative form of keychain”; keychain is a noun meaning “A chain or ring to which a key may be attached”. key chain is written as two words and keychain as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between key chain and keychain?
| key chain | keychain | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun | noun |
| Meaning | Alternative form of keychain | A chain or ring to which a key may be attached An ornamental piece holding such a chain or ring |
| Example | none recorded | none recorded |
| Forms | key-chains | keychains |
| Pronunciation | not recorded | /ˈkiːˌt͡ʃeɪn/ |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | about once in every 2 million words |
Sources: key chain and keychain in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of key chain and keychain
key chain
- 1
Alternative form of keychain
- 2
Alternative form of keychain
keychain
- 1
A chain or ring to which a key may be attached
- 2
An ornamental piece holding such a chain or ring
- 3
A digital repository for the storage of cryptographic keys
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, key chain or keychain?
key chain is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; keychain about once in every 2 million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).