hairpin
/ˈhɛɚ.pɪn/noun
hairpin is spelled H-A-I-R-P-I-N: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,943rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, hairpin means “A pin or fastener for the hair” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of hairpin is hairpins.
How many letters and syllables are in hairpin?
| Letters | 7: H-A-I-R-P-I-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 37,943rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is hairpin?
Hairpin appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,943rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hairpin?
- UK /ˈhɛə.pɪn/
- US /ˈhɛɚ.pɪn/
Hairpin has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-hairpin.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with hairpin
Also written: hair pin (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of hairpin
- hairpins plural
- hair pin
- hair-pin
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hairpin mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A pin or fastener for the hair.
- 2
A kind of ribozyme; hairpin ribozyme.
- 3
A very tight bend in a road; a hairpin bend.
- 4
An elongated horizontal v-shaped sign placed underneath a staff to indicate a crescendo or decrescendo.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hairpin in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense pin or fastener for the hair:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | épingle à cheveux, épingle |
| German | Haarnadel |
| Portuguese | grampo, gancho |
| Spanish | horquilla, gancho, pinche, ondulín, rascamoño, pincho |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does hairpin come from?
From hair + pin, 1788 (as hair pin). Adjective sense 1906 in hairpin turn etc.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).