kindergarten
kin·der·gar·ten/ˈkɪndəɹˌɡɑːɹt(ə)n/noun
kindergarten is spelled K-I-N-D-E-R-G-A-R-T-E-N: 12 letters and 4 syllables (kin·der·gar·ten). It appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, kindergarten means “An educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; a nursery school” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of kindergarten is kindergartens; Wiktionary also lists kindergärten (obsolete).
How many letters and syllables are in kindergarten?
| Letters | 12: K-I-N-D-E-R-G-A-R-T-E-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: kin·der·gar·ten |
| In writing | 6.2 times per million words; the 9,735th 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 kindergarten?
Kindergarten appears 6.2 times per million words in written English, the 9,735th 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 kindergarten?
- US /ˈkɪndəɹˌɡɑːɹt(ə)n/
- US /ˈkɪndəɹˌɡɑːɹd(ə)n/
- US [ˈkʰɪn(d)əɹˌɡɑːɹt̬(ə)n]
Kindergarten has 4 syllables, split kin·der·gar·ten in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-kindergarten.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with kindergarten
Also written: kinder.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of kindergarten
- kindergartens plural
- kindergarden
- kintergarden
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does kindergarten mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
AustraliaCanadaIndiaUKUSAn educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; a nursery school.
- 2
CanadaIndiaUSThe elementary school grade before first grade.
- 3
The two levels between nursery and prep; the second and third years of preschool.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate kindergarten?
Wiktionary records 3 abbreviations of kindergarten: K, KG, kinder.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Kindergarten in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | maternelle, jardin d'enfants, école maternelle |
| German | Vorschule, Kindergarten |
| Portuguese | jardim de infância, parquinho, infantário , jardim |
| Spanish | parvulario, jardín infantil, jardín de infancia, jardín de infantes, jardín de niños, kindergarten |
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 kindergarten come from?
Unadapted borrowing from German Kindergarten (“kindergarten”, literally “garden of children”), coined by German pedagogue Friedrich Fröbel in 1840.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).