coif
/kwɑf/noun, verb
coif is spelled C-O-I-F: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 85,266th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, coif means “A hairdo” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of coif is coifs.
How many letters and syllables are in coif?
| Letters | 4: C-O-I-F |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 8 million words; the 85,266th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 coif?
Coif appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 85,266th 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 coif?
- /kwɑf/
- /kɔɪf/
Coif has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-coif.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-coif.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-coif2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with coif
Sounds like: quaff (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with coif?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as coif.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: fico.
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 coif
- coifs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- coiffe
- quiff
- quaff
- quoife
- coiffing participle, present
- coifing participle, present
- coiffed participle, past
- coifed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does coif mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A hairdo.
- 2
A hood; a close-fitting cap covering much of the head, widespread until the 18th century; after that worn only by small children and country women.
- 3
A similar item of mail armour covering the head.
- 4
An official headdress, such as that worn by certain judges in England.
verb
- 1
To style or arrange hair.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Coif in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | coiffure , coiffe |
| German | Bundhaube , Kettenhaube |
| Portuguese | coifa, capuz |
| Spanish | cofia , almófar |
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 coif come from?
From Middle English coif, coife, coyf, coyfe, coyffe, from Old French coife, coiffe, from Late Latin cofia, from Proto-West Germanic *kuffju, related to Old High German kupphia, kupha, kupfe (“mug, hood, cap”), from Proto-Germanic *kuppijǭ (“cap, hat, bonnet, headpiece”), Proto-Germanic *kuppō (“vat, mug, cup”), from pre-Germanic *kubná-, from Proto-Indo-European *gup- (“round object, knoll”), from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend, curve, arch, vault”). Cognate with Middle High German kupfe (“cap, headgear, helmet”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).