groin

/ɡɹɔɪn/

//ɡɹɔɪn// noun

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

"groin" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“groin” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,652 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,652
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The crease or depression of the human body at the junction of the trunk and the thigh, together with the surrounding region.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

groin vs grow
60% similar
groin vs group
60% similar
groin vs grown
80% similar

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

Key facts for groin
PropertyValue
Headwordgroin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡɹɔɪn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#20,652
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “groin” 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). groin 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 groin is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡɹɔɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,652 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for groin, with forms such as "ggroin", "gorin", and "grion". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "grow", "group", "grown", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From earlier grine, from Middle English grinde, grynde, from Old English grynde (“abyss”) (perhaps also "depression, hollow"), probably related to Proto-Germanic *grunduz; see ground. Later altered under the influence of loin. The correct English form is groin, spelled G-R-O-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The crease or depression of the human body at the junction of the trunk and the thigh, together with the surrounding region.
  2. 2
    The area adjoining this fold or depression.
  3. 3
    The projecting solid angle formed by the meeting of two vaults
  4. 4
    The surface formed by two such vaults.
  5. 5
    The genitals.

Etymology

From earlier grine, from Middle English grinde, grynde, from Old English grynde (“abyss”) (perhaps also "depression, hollow"), probably related to Proto-Germanic *grunduz; see ground. Later altered under the influence of loin.

This word in other languages

ingle(Español)aine(Français)Leiste(Deutsch)virilha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggroin,gorin,grion,groinn,groni,grroin,rgoin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ggroin1gorin2grion2groinn1groni2grroin1rgoin2
Edit distance from "groin"

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 "groin"?
"groin" is spelled G-R-O-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹɔɪn/.
What does "groin" mean?
As a noun, "groin" means: The crease or depression of the human body at the junction of the trunk and the thigh, together with the surrounding region.
What words are commonly confused with "groin"?
"groin" is commonly confused with "grow", "group", "grown". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "groin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "groin" is /ɡɹɔɪn/. 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 "groin"?
From earlier grine, from Middle English grinde, grynde, from Old English grynde (“abyss”) (perhaps also "depression, hollow"), probably related to Proto-Germanic *grunduz; see ground. Later altered under the influence of loin. 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 “groin”

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

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