hairpin

/ˈhɛə.pɪn/

//ˈhɛə.pɪn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hairpin” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,956. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,956
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A pin or fastener for the hair.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hairpin · hairpin · English

hairpin · rank #37,956 · 10 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,956
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hacienda

Nearest frequency peer: hacienda (-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 “hairpin”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “hairpin” 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).

hairpin vs Hardin
57% similar
hairpin vs Harbin
57% similar
hairpin vs hairline
75% similar

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

Key facts for hairpin
PropertyValue
Headwordhairpin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɛə.pɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#37,956
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hairpin”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).hairpinlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “hacienda” (#37,955), “gynecologist” (#37,954), “gulch” (#37,953). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hairpin” is #37,956. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around hairpin (IPA /ˈhɛə.pɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #37,956 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for hairpin, with forms such as "ahirpin", "haiprin", and "hairipn". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Hardin", "Harbin", "hairline", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From hair + pin, 1788 (as hair pin). Adjective sense 1906 in hairpin turn etc. The correct English form is hairpin, spelled H-A-I-R-P-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A pin or fastener for the hair.
  2. 2
    A kind of ribozyme; hairpin ribozyme.
  3. 3
    A very tight bend in a road; a hairpin bend.
  4. 4
    An elongated horizontal v-shaped sign placed underneath a staff to indicate a crescendo or decrescendo.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The variety of angles in the course, from slow bends to hairpins, will both test your skill as a driver and allow you the opportunity to pass other carts.

Etymology

From hair + pin, 1788 (as hair pin). Adjective sense 1906 in hairpin turn etc.

This word in other languages

horquilla(Español)épingle à cheveux(Français)Haarnadel(Deutsch)grampo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ahirpin
  • haiprin
  • hairipn
  • hairpinn
  • hairpni
  • hairppin
  • hairrpin
  • haripin
  • hhairpin
  • hiarpin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hairpin - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ahirpin2haiprin2hairipn2hairpinn1hairpni2hairppin1hairrpin1haripin2
Edit distance from "hairpin"

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 "hairpin"?
"hairpin" is spelled H-A-I-R-P-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛə.pɪn/.
What does "hairpin" mean?
As a noun, "hairpin" means: A pin or fastener for the hair.
What words are commonly confused with "hairpin"?
"hairpin" is commonly confused with "Hardin", "Harbin", "hairline". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hairpin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hairpin" is /ˈhɛə.pɪn/. 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 "hairpin"?
From hair + pin, 1788 (as hair pin). Adjective sense 1906 in hairpin turn etc. 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 "hairpin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

godsend#37,946Hilbert#37,970Gaylord#37,936impaled#37,983

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Iverson10 variantsJezebel10 variantsjugular10 variantsKerrigan10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list