kinship

/ˈkɪnʃɪp/

//ˈkɪnʃɪp// noun

"kinship" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kinship” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #24,490 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#24,490
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Relation or connection by blood, marriage or adoption.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

kinship vs kingship
88% similar

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

Key facts for kinship
PropertyValue
Headwordkinship
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɪnʃɪp/
Letters7
Frequency rank#24,490
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kinship” 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). kinship 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 kinship is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɪnʃɪp/. Corpus data places it at rank #24,490 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for kinship, with forms such as "iknship", "kinhsip", and "kinnship". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "kingship", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From kin + -ship. The correct English form is kinship, spelled K-I-N-S-H-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Relation or connection by blood, marriage or adoption.
  2. 2
    Relation or connection by nature or character.

Etymology

From kin + -ship.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: iknship,kinhsip,kinnship,kinshhip,kinshipp,kinshpi,kinsihp,kinsship,kisnhip,kkinship,kniship

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iknship2kinhsip2kinnship1kinshhip1kinshipp1kinshpi2kinsihp2kinsship1
Edit distance from "kinship"

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 "kinship"?
"kinship" is spelled K-I-N-S-H-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɪnʃɪp/.
What does "kinship" mean?
As a noun, "kinship" means: Relation or connection by blood, marriage or adoption.
What words are commonly confused with "kinship"?
"kinship" is commonly confused with "kingship". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kinship"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kinship" is /ˈkɪnʃɪp/. 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 "kinship"?
From kin + -ship. 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 “kinship”

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

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