firkin
/ˈfɝkɪn/
"firkin" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“firkin” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A varying measure of capacity, usually being a quarter of a barrel; specifically, a measure equal to nine imperial gallons.
Corpus desk
Index EN-firkin · firkin · English
firkin · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "F" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | firkin |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈfɝkɪn/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “firkin” in English
Rare enough to double-check
firkin is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfɝkɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for firkin in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle Dutch *vierdekijn, diminutive of vierde (“fourth”), from vier (“four”); equivalent to fourth + -kin. The correct English form is firkin, spelled F-I-R-K-I-N.
Definition
- 1A varying measure of capacity, usually being a quarter of a barrel; specifically, a measure equal to nine imperial gallons.
- 2A small wooden vessel or cask of indeterminate size, used for butter, lard, etc.
- 3A measurement for the mass of butter, equalling 56 pounds.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how firkin appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
23 Hen. VIII, cap. 4... The barrel of beer is to hold 36 gallons, the kilderkin 18 gallons the firkin 9. But the barrel, kilderkin, and firkin of ale are to contain 32, 16, and 8 gallons.
But for his other guests he let bear in the massy cups of silver, and the great eared wine jars holding two firkins apiece, and he let pour forth to the Witches and the Foliots, and they drank the cup of memory unto King Gorice XI., slain that day by the hand of Goldry Bluszco.
Etymology
From Middle Dutch *vierdekijn, diminutive of vierde (“fourth”), from vier (“four”); equivalent to fourth + -kin.
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.