china
chi·na/ˈt͡ʃaɪ̯nə/noun
china is spelled C-H-I-N-A: 5 letters and 2 syllables (chi·na). It appears 126 times per million words in written English, the 831st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, china means “Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now (chiefly US) sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of china is chinas.
How many letters and syllables are in china?
| Letters | 5: C-H-I-N-A |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: chi·na |
| In writing | 126 times per million words; the 831st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is china?
China appears 126 times per million words in written English, the 831st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce china?
- /ˈt͡ʃaɪ̯nə/
- [ˈt͡ʃʰaɪ̯nə]
- Australia /ˈt͡ʃɑɪ̯nə/
China has 2 syllables, split chi·na in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-gb-china.oga, En-us-china.ogg, En-us-China.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with china?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as china (/aɪnə/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: chain.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of china
- chinas plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does china mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now (chiefly US) sometimes distinguished in reference to tableware as fine or good china.
It's a china doll.
- 2
Chinaware: porcelain tableware.
...a Present of certain very rich Pieces of China.
- 3
USdatedCheaper and lower-quality ceramic and ceramic tableware, distinguished from porcelain.
- 4
Synonym of China root, the root of Smilax china (particularly) as a medicine.
- 5
obsoleteSynonym of cheyney: worsted or woolen stuff.
- 6
Synonym of China rose, in its various senses.
- 7
AustraliaslangSynonym of mate (rhyme of china-plate).
All right, me old china?
- 8
datedTea from China, (particularly) varieties cured by smoking or opposed to Indian cultivars.
noun
- 1
Alternative letter-case form of china: porcelain tableware.
- 2
obsoleteA Chinese person.
- 3
obsoleteAlternative form of cheyney: woollen stuff; items made or filled with cheyney.
- 4
Clipping of China rose, various flowers.
- 5
Clipping of China tea.
- 6
slangAlternative form of china: a mate, a friend.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
China in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense porcelain tableware:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | porcelaine |
| German | Porzellan |
| Portuguese | louça |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does china come from?
From clippings of attributive use of China, q.v., the country in East Asia. In reference to porcelain and porcelain objects, via clipping of chinaware and via this sense of Persian چینی (čīnī /čini) in Persia and India, which influenced the pronunciation (see below). In reference to medicine, via clipping of China root. In reference to flowers, via clipping of China rose. In reference to tea, via clipping of China tea. In Cockney slang, a clipping of china plate as a rhyme of mate (“friend”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).