linchpin
/ˈlɪnt͡ʃˌpɪn/noun, verb
linchpin is spelled L-I-N-C-H-P-I-N: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 64,400th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, linchpin means “A pin inserted through holes at the end of an axle or shaft, so as to secure a wheel or shaft-mounted device” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of linchpin is linchpins.
How many letters and syllables are in linchpin?
| Letters | 8: L-I-N-C-H-P-I-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 64,400th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is linchpin?
Linchpin appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 64,400th 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 linchpin?
- /ˈlɪnt͡ʃˌpɪn/
Linchpin has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-linchpin.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of linchpin
- linchpins plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- linch-pin
- lynchpin
- lynch-pin
- link-pin
- lin-pin
- linchpinning participle, present
- linchpinned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does linchpin mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A pin inserted through holes at the end of an axle or shaft, so as to secure a wheel or shaft-mounted device.
In ij camellis ferri vocatis lynspins emptis pro carectis iiijᵈ.
- 2
A central cohesive source of stability and security; a person or thing that is critical to a system or organisation.
verb
- 1
To adopt as, or serve as, a central cohesive source of stability and security.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Linchpin in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | cheville, cheville ouvrière , pivot |
| German | Achsnagel, Lünse , Angelpunkt |
| Portuguese | chaveta , baluarte |
| Spanish | taco |
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 linchpin come from?
From Middle English lynspin, compound of lins (“axletree”) and pin, from Old English lynis (“lynchpin”), from Proto-West Germanic *lunis, from Proto-Germanic *lunaz – compare German Lünse and Dutch luns – from Proto-Indo-European. Possible further cognates are Welsh olwyn (“wheel”), Old Armenian ողն (ołn, “back; spine, backbone”) and Sanskrit आणि (āṇí, “lynchpin”). Figurative use attested from the mid-20th century.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).