knit

/nɪt/

//nɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“knit” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,907 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#11,907
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To turn thread or yarn into a piece of fabric by forming loops that are pulled through each other. This can be done by hand with needles or by machine.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

knit vs KT
0% similar
knit vs koi
50% similar
knit vs Kyi
25% similar

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

Key facts for knit
PropertyValue
Headwordknit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/nɪt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#11,907
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “knit” 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). knit 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 knit is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /nɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,907 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for knit, with forms such as "kint", "kknit", and "knitt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "KT", "koi", "Kyi", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English knytten, from Old English cnyttan (“to fasten, tie, bind, knit; add, append”), from Proto-West Germanic *knuttijan, from Proto-Germanic *knutjaną, *knuttijaną (“to make knots, knit”). Cognate with Low German knütten and Old Norse knýta (… The correct English form is knit, spelled K-N-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To turn thread or yarn into a piece of fabric by forming loops that are pulled through each other. This can be done by hand with needles or by machine.
  2. 2
    To create a stitch by pulling the working yarn through an existing stitch from back to front.
  3. 3
    To join closely and firmly together.
  4. 4
    To become closely and firmly joined; become compacted.
  5. 5
    To grow together.
  6. 6
    To combine from various elements.
  7. 7
    To heal following a fracture.
  8. 8
    To form into a knot, or into knots; to tie together, as cord; to fasten by tying.
  9. 9
    To draw together; to contract into wrinkles.

Etymology

From Middle English knytten, from Old English cnyttan (“to fasten, tie, bind, knit; add, append”), from Proto-West Germanic *knuttijan, from Proto-Germanic *knutjaną, *knuttijaną (“to make knots, knit”). Cognate with Low German knütten and Old Norse knýta (whence Danish knytte, Norwegian Nynorsk knyta). More at knot.

This word in other languages

hacer punto(Español)tricoter(Français)stricken(Deutsch)tricotar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: kint,kknit,knitt,knnit,knti,nkit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

kint2kknit1knitt1knnit1knti2nkit2
Edit distance from "knit"

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 "knit"?
"knit" is spelled K-N-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /nɪt/.
What does "knit" mean?
As a verb, "knit" means: To turn thread or yarn into a piece of fabric by forming loops that are pulled through each other. This can be done by hand with needles or by machine.
What words are commonly confused with "knit"?
"knit" is commonly confused with "KT", "koi", "Kyi". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "knit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "knit" is /nɪt/. 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 "knit"?
From Middle English knytten, from Old English cnyttan (“to fasten, tie, bind, knit; add, append”), from Proto-West Germanic *knuttijan, from Proto-Germanic *knutjaną, *knuttijaną (“to make knots, knit”). Cognate with Low German knütten and Old Nor... 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 “knit”

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

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