cinema

/ˈsɪn.ə.mə/

//ˈsɪn.ə.mə// noun

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

"cinema" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cinema” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,400 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,400
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A movie theatre, a movie house.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cinema vs cine
67% similar

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

Key facts for cinema
PropertyValue
Headwordcinema
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪn.ə.mə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#5,400
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cinema” 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). cinema 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 cinema is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɪn.ə.mə/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,400 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for cinema, with forms such as "ccinema", "cienma", and "cineam". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "cine", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French cinéma, clipping of cinématographe (term coined by the Lumière brothers in the 1890s), from Ancient Greek κίνημα (kínēma, “movement”) + γράφω (gráphō, “write, record”). Compare German Kino (“cinema”), ultimately from the same Greek source. The correct English form is cinema, spelled C-I-N-E-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A movie theatre, a movie house.
  2. 2
    Films collectively.
  3. 3
    The film and movie industry.
  4. 4
    The art of making films and movies; cinematography.
  5. 5
    A sophisticated or exemplary film, representative of the art of cinema.
  6. 6
    A sophisticated or exemplary film, representative of the art of cinema.

Etymology

Borrowed from French cinéma, clipping of cinématographe (term coined by the Lumière brothers in the 1890s), from Ancient Greek κίνημα (kínēma, “movement”) + γράφω (gráphō, “write, record”). Compare German Kino (“cinema”), ultimately from the same Greek source.

This word in other languages

cine(Español)cinéma(Français)Kino(Deutsch)cinema(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccinema,cienma,cineam,cinemma,cinmea,cinnema,cniema,icnema

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cinema - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccinema1cienma2cineam2cinemma1cinmea2cinnema1cniema2icnema2
Edit distance from "cinema"

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 "cinema"?
"cinema" is spelled C-I-N-E-M-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪn.ə.mə/.
What does "cinema" mean?
As a noun, "cinema" means: A movie theatre, a movie house.
What words are commonly confused with "cinema"?
"cinema" is commonly confused with "cine". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cinema"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cinema" is /ˈsɪn.ə.mə/. 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 "cinema"?
Borrowed from French cinéma, clipping of cinématographe (term coined by the Lumière brothers in the 1890s), from Ancient Greek κίνημα (kínēma, “movement”) + γράφω (gráphō, “write, record”). Compare German Kino (“cinema”), ultimately from the same ... 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 “cinema”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-I-N-E-M-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɪn.ə.mə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “cine” - see the side-by-side comparison. cinema vs cine
  • 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