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PlainSpell

keen

/kin/adjective, verb, noun

keen is spelled K-E-E-N: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 5,778th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, keen means “Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in keen?

Letters4: K-E-E-N
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing13 times per million words; the 5,778th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Sounds like
Rhymes with
Same letters

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is keen?

Keen appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 5,778th 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 keen?

  • UK /kiːn/
  • US /kin/

Keen has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-keen.ogg, En-au-keen.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with keen

Sounds like: Keane (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

What rhymes with keen?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as keen from its last stressed vowel (/in/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: knee.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of keen

  • keener comparative
  • more keen comparative
  • keenest superlative
  • most keen superlative
  • keene
  • kene
  • keens present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • keening participle, present
  • keened participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does keen mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    CommonwealthOften with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.

    I’m keen on computers.

  2. 2

    Fierce, intense, vehement.

    This boy has a keen appetite.

  3. 3

    Having a fine edge or point; sharp.

  4. 4

    Acute of mind, having or expressing mental acuteness; penetrating, sharp.

  5. 5

    Acrimonious, bitter, piercing.

    keen satire or sarcasm

  6. 6

    Cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp.

    a keen wind

  7. 7

    UKOf prices, extremely low as to be competitive.

  8. 8

    USdatedinformalMarvelous.

    I just got this peachy keen new dress.

noun

  1. 1

    A prolonged wail for a deceased person.

verb

  1. 1

    To utter a keen.

    Last night he had put down too much Potheen / (A vulgar blend of Methyl and Benzene) / That, at some Wake, he might the better keen. / (Keen–meaning 'brisk'? Nay, here the Language warps: / 'Tis singing bawdy Ballads to a Corpse.)

  2. 2

    To utter with a loud wailing voice or wordless cry.

  3. 3

    To mourn.

  4. 4

    rareTo make cold, to sharpen.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Keen in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Germanscharf, kühn), verwegen (temerarious), leidenschaftlich (showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or…), ungestüm, vehement (fierce, intense, vehement)
Spanishentusiasta, ardoroso, fijo, motivado, interesado, entusiasmado (showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or…)

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 keen come from?

From Middle English kene (“bold, brave, sharp”), from Old English cēne (“keen, fierce, bold, brave, warlike, powerful; learned, clever, wise”), from Proto-Germanic *kōniz (“knowledgeable, skilful, experienced, clever, capable”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after keen