# kitten

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɪt.n̩/ · frequency rank #12,264

## Definitions
1. A young cat, especially before sexual maturity (reached at about seven months).
2. A young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, beaver, badger, etc.
3. A moth of the genus Furcula.
4. A term of endearment, especially for a woman.
5. A term of endearment, especially for a woman.

## Etymology
From Middle English kitoun, kytton, kyton, keton (“kitten”), of obscure origin. Seemingly from, and usually explained as being from, unattested Anglo-Norman *kitoun, *ketun (compare Old French chitoun, cheton, chaton (“kitten”), diminutive of cat, chat (“cat”)); whence Modern French chaton (“kitten”). Similar words of Germanic origin may have reinforced this word; compare English kitling (“kit, kitten”), Low German Kitten (“kitten”), Icelandic kettlingur (“kitten”), Middle English chitte ("whelp, pup", see chit). The idea that kitoun, rather than being of Anglo-Norman origin, was in fact a purely Germanic derivation from one of these words is etymologically problematic, but cannot be definitively ruled out.

## Easily confused with
- **kitty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kitten-vs-kitty)
- **Kristen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kitten-vs-kristen)
- **knitted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kitten-vs-knitted)
- **kite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kite-vs-kitten)
- **Kitt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kitt-vs-kitten)
- **kites** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kites-vs-kitten)
- **kitchen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kitchen-vs-kitten)
- **Kirsten** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kirsten-vs-kitten)

## Common misspellings (7)
`iktten`, `kiten`, `kitetn`, `kittenn`, `kittne`, `kkitten`, `ktiten`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/kitten