khan

/kɑːn/

//kɑːn// noun

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

"khan" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“khan” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,684 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,684
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A ruler over various Turkic and Mongol peoples in the Middle Ages.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

khan vs kin
50% similar
khan vs KIA
0% similar
khan vs kun
50% similar

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

Key facts for khan
PropertyValue
Headwordkhan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɑːn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#4,684
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “khan” 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). khan 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 khan is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɑːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,684 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for khan, with forms such as "hkan", "khann", and "khhan". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "kin", "KIA", "kun", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Via late Middle English can, chan from Old French chan, from Medieval Latin chanis, from Turkic *qan, contraction of *qaɣan. Cognate with Old Turkic 𐰴𐰍𐰣 (qaɣan), and Mongolian хаан (xaan), possibly from Rouran. Sense 1 (ruler in the Middle Ages) after Ge… The correct English form is khan, spelled K-H-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A ruler over various Turkic and Mongol peoples in the Middle Ages.
  2. 2
    An Ottoman sultan.
  3. 3
    A noble or man of rank in various Muslim countries of Central Asia, including Afghanistan.

Etymology

Via late Middle English can, chan from Old French chan, from Medieval Latin chanis, from Turkic *qan, contraction of *qaɣan. Cognate with Old Turkic 𐰴𐰍𐰣 (qaɣan), and Mongolian хаан (xaan), possibly from Rouran. Sense 1 (ruler in the Middle Ages) after Genghis Khan, from Middle Mongol ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨ (qaɣan). Doublet of khagan.

Synonyms

khakan

This word in other languages

kan(Español)khan(Français)Chan(Deutsch)cã(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hkan,khann,khhan,khna,kkhan

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hkan2khann1khhan1khna2kkhan1
Edit distance from "khan"

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 "khan"?
"khan" is spelled K-H-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kɑːn/.
What does "khan" mean?
As a noun, "khan" means: A ruler over various Turkic and Mongol peoples in the Middle Ages.
What words are commonly confused with "khan"?
"khan" is commonly confused with "kin", "KIA", "kun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "khan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "khan" is /kɑːn/. 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 "khan"?
Via late Middle English can, chan from Old French chan, from Medieval Latin chanis, from Turkic *qan, contraction of *qaɣan. Cognate with Old Turkic 𐰴𐰍𐰣 (qaɣan), and Mongolian хаан (xaan), possibly from Rouran. Sense 1 (ruler in the Middle Ages... 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 “khan”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-H-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kɑːn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “kin” - see the side-by-side comparison. khan vs kin
  • 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