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” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,297. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,297
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A mythical beast having the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-griffin · griffin · English

griffin · rank #8,297 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,297
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH gosh

Nearest frequency peer: gosh (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “griffin”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “griffin” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “griffin”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).griffinlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “gosh” (#8,296), “historian” (#8,298), “Gilbert” (#8,295). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “griffin” is #8,297. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around griffin (IPA /ˈɡɹɪf.ɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,297 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Tables were laid out in the palace, profusely covered with wines and refreshments, in the European style; old hands and griffins, fair sex and civilians, seemed all determined to enjoy themselves[…]

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Gilbert#8,295hostage#8,301hottest#8,302gesture#8,291

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Gibson9 variantsJeffrey9 variantsframed9 variantsKenneth9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list