napkin

/ˈnæp.kɪn/

//ˈnæp.kɪn// noun

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

"napkin" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“napkin” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,609. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,609
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A serviette; a (usually rectangular) piece of cloth or paper used at the table for wiping the mouth and hands for cleanliness while eating.

Corpus desk

Index EN-napkin · napkin · English

napkin · rank #23,609 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,609
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH Mussolini

Nearest frequency peer: Mussolini (-2 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 “napkin”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “napkin” 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).

napkin vs napping
71% similar
napkin vs Nanking
57% similar

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

Key facts for napkin
PropertyValue
Headwordnapkin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnæp.kɪn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#23,609
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “napkin”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).napkinlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Mussolini” (#23,607), “nelly” (#23,611), “MSG” (#23,606). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “napkin” is #23,609. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around napkin (IPA /ˈnæp.kɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,609 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for napkin, with forms such as "anpkin", "nakpin", and "napikn". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "napping", "Nanking", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English napkyn, equivalent to nape (“cloth”) + -kin. The correct English form is napkin, spelled N-A-P-K-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A serviette; a (usually rectangular) piece of cloth or paper used at the table for wiping the mouth and hands for cleanliness while eating.
  2. 2
    A nappy (UK), a diaper (American).
  3. 3
    A small scarf worn on the head by Christian women (chiefly Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) when entering a church, as a token of modesty.
  4. 4
    Ellipsis of sanitary napkin.

Etymology

From Middle English napkyn, equivalent to nape (“cloth”) + -kin.

This word in other languages

servilleta(Español)serviette(Français)Serviette(Deutsch)guardanapo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • anpkin
  • nakpin
  • napikn
  • napkinn
  • napkkin
  • napkni
  • nappkin
  • nnapkin
  • npakin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

anpkin2nakpin2napikn2napkinn1napkkin1napkni2nappkin1nnapkin1
Edit distance from "napkin"

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 "napkin"?
"napkin" is spelled N-A-P-K-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnæp.kɪn/.
What does "napkin" mean?
As a noun, "napkin" means: A serviette; a (usually rectangular) piece of cloth or paper used at the table for wiping the mouth and hands for cleanliness while eating.
What words are commonly confused with "napkin"?
"napkin" is commonly confused with "napping", "Nanking". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "napkin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "napkin" is /ˈnæp.kɪn/. 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 "napkin"?
From Middle English napkyn, equivalent to nape (“cloth”) + -kin. 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 "napkin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

neuron#23,612nugget#23,617Paxton#23,626pitted#23,631

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

knitted9 variantspropel9 variantsrosary9 variantssheath9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list