curtain

Name: curtain, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈkɜːtn̩/

//ˈkɜːtn̩// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“curtain” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,776 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,776
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 10
tracked misspellings: 8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A piece of cloth covering a window, bed, etc. to offer privacy and keep out light.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

curtain vs Curtis

57% similar

curtain vs Curtin

71% similar

curtain vs curtains

88% similar

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

Key facts for curtain
Property	Value
Headword	curtain
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈkɜːtn̩/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#8,776
Misspellings tracked	10
Confusable pairs	8
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “curtain” 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). curtain lands here:

#8,776

#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 curtain is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɜːtn̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,776 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for curtain, with forms such as "ccurtain", "crutain", and "curatin". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "Curtis", "Curtin", "curtains", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English curtine, from Old French cortine, from Late Latin cōrtīna (“curtain”), a calque from Ancient Greek. The correct English form is curtain, spelled C-U-R-T-A-I-N.

Definition

1
A piece of cloth covering a window, bed, etc. to offer privacy and keep out light.
2
A similar piece of cloth that separates the audience and the stage in a theater.
3
The beginning of a show; the moment the curtain rises.
4
The flat area of wall which connects two bastions or towers; the main area of a fortified wall.
5
Death, final curtain.
6
That part of a wall of a building which is between two pavilions, towers, etc.
7
A flag; an ensign.
8
The uninterrupted stream of fluid that falls onto a moving substrate in the process of curtain coating.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English curtine, from Old French cortine, from Late Latin cōrtīna (“curtain”), a calque from Ancient Greek.

This word in other languages

cortina(Español)rideau(Français)Vorhang(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccurtain,crutain,curatin,currtain,curtainn,curtani,curtian,curttain,cutrain,ucrtain

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of curtain - 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.

Edit distance from "curtain"

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 "curtain"?

"curtain" is spelled C-U-R-T-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɜːtn̩/.

What does "curtain" mean?

As a noun, "curtain" means: A piece of cloth covering a window, bed, etc. to offer privacy and keep out light.

What words are commonly confused with "curtain"?

"curtain" is commonly confused with "Curtis", "Curtin", "curtains". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "curtain"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "curtain" is /ˈkɜːtn̩/. 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 "curtain"?

Inherited from Middle English curtine, from Old French cortine, from Late Latin cōrtīna (“curtain”), a calque from Ancient Greek. 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 “curtain”

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

The one correct English spelling is C-U-R-T-A-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈkɜːtn̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Curtis” - see the side-by-side comparison. curtain vs Curtis
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.