napkin
nap·kin/ˈnæpˌkɪn/noun
napkin is spelled N-A-P-K-I-N: 6 letters and 2 syllables (nap·kin). It appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 23,536th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). 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” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of napkin is napkins.
How many letters and syllables are in napkin?
| Letters | 6: N-A-P-K-I-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: nap·kin |
| In writing | 1.4 times per million words; the 23,536th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is napkin?
Napkin appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 23,536th 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 napkin?
- /ˈnæpˌkɪn/
- [ˈnæpˌkʰɪn]
- /ˈnæpˌkən/
Napkin has 2 syllables, split nap·kin in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-napkin.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of napkin
- napkins plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does napkin mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 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
UKA nappy (UK), a diaper (American).
- 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
datedEllipsis of sanitary napkin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Napkin in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense serviette:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | serviette |
| German | Serviette, Mundtuch |
| Portuguese | guardanapo |
| Spanish | servilleta, toballeta (disused), toalleta |
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 napkin come from?
From Middle English napekyn, napkyn, equivalent to nape (“cloth”) + -kin (diminutive suffix).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).