griffin

/ˈɡɹɪf.ɪn/

//ˈɡɹɪf.ɪn// noun

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

"griffin" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“griffin” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,297 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,297
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A mythical beast having the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

griffin vs Griffith
63% similar
griffin vs Griff
57% similar

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

Key facts for griffin
PropertyValue
Headwordgriffin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɹɪf.ɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#8,297
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “griffin” 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). griffin lands here:

#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 griffin is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡɹɪf.ɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,297 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for griffin, with forms such as "ggriffin", "girffin", and "grfifin". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Griffith", "Griff", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English griffoun, from Old French griffon, from Late Latin grȳphus, from Classical Latin grȳps, from Ancient Greek γρῡ́ψ (grū́ps). The correct English form is griffin, spelled G-R-I-F-F-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A mythical beast having the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle.
  2. 2
    A griffon vulture, a large vulture (Gyps fulvus) found in the mountainous parts of Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor, supposed to be the "eagle" of the Bible.
  3. 3
    An English variety of apple.
  4. 4
    A person who has just arrived from Europe.
  5. 5
    A cadet newly arrived in British India: half English, half Indian.
  6. 6
    A watchful guardian, especially a duenna in charge of a young woman.

Etymology

From Middle English griffoun, from Old French griffon, from Late Latin grȳphus, from Classical Latin grȳps, from Ancient Greek γρῡ́ψ (grū́ps).

This word in other languages

grifo(Español)griffon(Français)Greif(Deutsch)grifo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggriffin,girffin,grfifin,griffinn,griffni,grififn,grifin,grriffin,rgiffin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of griffin - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ggriffin1girffin2grfifin2griffinn1griffni2grififn2grifin1grriffin1
Edit distance from "griffin"

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 "griffin"?
"griffin" is spelled G-R-I-F-F-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɹɪf.ɪn/.
What does "griffin" mean?
As a noun, "griffin" means: A mythical beast having the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle.
What words are commonly confused with "griffin"?
"griffin" is commonly confused with "Griffith", "Griff". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "griffin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "griffin" is /ˈɡɹɪf.ɪn/. 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 "griffin"?
From Middle English griffoun, from Old French griffon, from Late Latin grȳphus, from Classical Latin grȳps, from Ancient Greek γρῡ́ψ (grū́ps). 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 “griffin”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-R-I-F-F-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡɹɪf.ɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Griffith” - see the side-by-side comparison. griffin vs Griffith
  • 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list