coin

/kɔɪn/

//kɔɪn// noun

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

"coin" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“coin” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,201. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,201
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-coin · coin · English

coin · rank #5,201 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,201
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH coastal

Nearest frequency peer: coastal (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “coin”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “coin” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

coin vs cop
50% similar
coin vs con
75% similar
coin vs cow
50% similar

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

Key facts for coin
PropertyValue
Headwordcoin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɔɪn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#5,201
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “coin” 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).coinlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “coastal” (#5,200), “colored” (#5,202), “Christianity” (#5,199). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around coin (IPA /kɔɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,201 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for coin, with forms such as "ccoin", "cion", and "coinn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cop", "con", "cow", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English coyn, from Old French coigne (“wedge, cornerstone, die for stamping”), from Latin cuneus (“wedge”). Doublet of coign and cuneus. See also quoin (“cornerstone”). Displaced Middle English mynt, from Old English mynet (whence modern English… The correct English form is coin, spelled C-O-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle.
  2. 2
    A token used in a special establishment like a casino.
  3. 3
    That which serves for payment or recompense.
  4. 4
    Something in broad circulation or use.
  5. 5
    Money in general, not limited to coins.
  6. 6
    One of the suits of minor arcana in tarot, or a card of that suit.
  7. 7
    A corner or external angle.
  8. 8
    A small circular slice of food.
  9. 9
    Ellipsis of cryptocoin; a cryptocurrency.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how coin appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. ...the coins were of all countries and sizes - doubloons, and louis d'ors, and guineas, and pieces of eight...
  2. The loss of every present advantage to flesh and blood is repaid in a nobler coin.

Etymology

From Middle English coyn, from Old French coigne (“wedge, cornerstone, die for stamping”), from Latin cuneus (“wedge”). Doublet of coign and cuneus. See also quoin (“cornerstone”). Displaced Middle English mynt, from Old English mynet (whence modern English mint), which was derived from Latin monēta.

This word in other languages

moneda(Español)pièce de monnaie(Français)Münze(Deutsch)moeda(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccoin
  • cion
  • coinn
  • coni
  • ocin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of coin - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccoin1cion2coinn1coni2ocin2
Edit distance from "coin"

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 "coin"?
"coin" is spelled C-O-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kɔɪn/.
What does "coin" mean?
As a noun, "coin" means: A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle.
What words are commonly confused with "coin"?
"coin" is commonly confused with "cop", "con", "cow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "coin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coin" is /kɔɪn/. 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 "coin"?
From Middle English coyn, from Old French coigne (“wedge, cornerstone, die for stamping”), from Latin cuneus (“wedge”). Doublet of coign and cuneus. See also quoin (“cornerstone”). Displaced Middle English mynt, from Old English mynet (whence mode... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "coin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

corn#5,206bulk#5,195boot#5,192yoga#5,181

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).

wrap5 variantsit'd5 variantsSony5 variantstaxi5 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "coin". Here's where to go from here.

  • "coin" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "cop". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #5,201 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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