Klein

/klaɪn/

//klaɪn// name

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

"klein" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Klein” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,059. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,059
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A surname from German, equivalent to English Small.

Corpus desk

Index EN-klein · Klein · English

Klein · rank #11,059 · 7 variants · 12 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,059
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 12 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH jong

Nearest frequency peer: jong (-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 “Klein”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “Klein” 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).

Klein vs ken
40% similar
Klein vs kin
40% similar
Klein vs kei
40% similar

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

Key facts for Klein
PropertyValue
HeadwordKlein
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/klaɪn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#11,059
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Klein”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “jong” (#11,058), “limitation” (#11,060), “Jacques” (#11,057). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “Klein” is #11,059. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around Klein (IPA /klaɪn/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #11,059 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A surname from German, equivalent to English Small.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Klein, with forms such as "kelin", "kklein", and "kleinn". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "ken", "kin", "kei", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from German Klein. The correct English form is Klein, spelled K-L-E-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A surname from German, equivalent to English Small.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. “I call on all citizens of Berlin and across Germany to wear the yarmulke (as the skullcap is known in Yiddish) next Saturday if there are new, intolerable attacks targeting Israel and Jews on the occasion of Al-Quds Day in Berlin,” said Felix Klein in a statement.

Etymology

Borrowed from German Klein.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • kelin
  • kklein
  • kleinn
  • kleni
  • klien
  • kllein
  • lkein

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

kelin2kklein1kleinn1kleni2klien2kllein1lkein2
Edit distance from "Klein"

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 "Klein"?
"Klein" is spelled K-L-E-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /klaɪn/.
What does "Klein" mean?
As a proper noun, "Klein" means: A surname from German, equivalent to English Small.
What words are commonly confused with "Klein"?
"Klein" is commonly confused with "ken", "kin", "kei". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Klein"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Klein" is /klaɪn/. 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 "Klein"?
Borrowed from German Klein. 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 "Klein", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Irene#11,054macro#11,066fills#11,032ebook#11,026

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

cubic7 variantsstove7 variantsbingo7 variantsbarred7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list