kelvin

/ˈkɛlvɪn/

//ˈkɛlvɪn// noun

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

"kelvin" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kelvin” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,878. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,878
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In the International System of Units, the base unit of thermodynamic temperature; ¹⁄_(273.16) of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kelvin · kelvin · English

kelvin · rank #19,878 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,878
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH kart

Nearest frequency peer: kart (-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 “kelvin”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “kelvin” 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).

kelvin vs Kevin
67% similar
kelvin vs Klein
50% similar

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

Key facts for kelvin
PropertyValue
Headwordkelvin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɛlvɪn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#19,878
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “kelvin”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “kart” (#19,877), “keyword” (#19,879), “Kapoor” (#19,876). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “kelvin” is #19,878. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around kelvin (IPA /ˈkɛlvɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,878 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for kelvin, with forms such as "eklvin", "kelivn", and "kellvin". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Kevin", "Klein", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Named after Irish-born Scottish physicist William Thomson, Lord Kelvin. The correct English form is kelvin, spelled K-E-L-V-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    In the International System of Units, the base unit of thermodynamic temperature; ¹⁄_(273.16) of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water.
  2. 2
    One degree of difference on this scale, as a unit interval.
  3. 3
    A measurement of color warmth defined by the temperature kelvin at which an incandescent blackbody would emit a given color.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Ice melts above 273.15 kelvins.
  2. Water boils above 373.15 kelvins.

Etymology

Named after Irish-born Scottish physicist William Thomson, Lord Kelvin.

This word in other languages

kelvin(Español)kelvin(Français)Kelvin(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eklvin
  • kelivn
  • kellvin
  • kelvinn
  • kelvni
  • kelvvin
  • kevlin
  • kkelvin
  • klevin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of kelvin - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

eklvin2kelivn2kellvin1kelvinn1kelvni2kelvvin1kevlin2kkelvin1
Edit distance from "kelvin"

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 "kelvin"?
"kelvin" is spelled K-E-L-V-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɛlvɪn/.
What does "kelvin" mean?
As a noun, "kelvin" means: In the International System of Units, the base unit of thermodynamic temperature; ¹⁄_(273.16) of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water.
What words are commonly confused with "kelvin"?
"kelvin" is commonly confused with "Kevin", "Klein". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kelvin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kelvin" is /ˈkɛlvɪn/. 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 "kelvin"?
Named after Irish-born Scottish physicist William Thomson, Lord Kelvin. 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 "kelvin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Kapoor#19,876Julien#19,874Louisa#19,889Manson#19,893

Similar misspelling depth

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

imitate9 variantsMcKenna9 variantsHermes9 variantshangar9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list