coin of the realm
/ˈkɔɪn əv ðə ˈɹɛlm/
"coin-of-the-realm" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“coin of the realm” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 17
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The legal money of a country.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | coin of the realm |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkɔɪn əv ðə ˈɹɛlm/ |
| Letters | 17 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “coin of the realm” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for coin of the realm is 17 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɔɪn əv ðə ˈɹɛlm/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for coin of the realm in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: The term originally referred to actual coins issued by authority of the British monarch for use within the kingdom or realm: see, for example, the 18th-century quotations. The correct English form is coin of the realm, spelled C-O-I-N- -O-F- -T-H-E- -R-E-A-L-M.
Definition
- 1The legal money of a country.
- 2Something that is valued like money within a particular context.
Etymology
The term originally referred to actual coins issued by authority of the British monarch for use within the kingdom or realm: see, for example, the 18th-century quotations.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “coin of the realm”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-I-N- -O-F- -T-H-E- -R-E-A-L-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɔɪn əv ðə ˈɹɛlm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.