# napkin

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈnæp.kɪn/ · frequency rank #23,609

## Definitions
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. A 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. Ellipsis of sanitary napkin.

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

## Easily confused with
- **napping** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/napkin-vs-napping)
- **Nanking** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nanking-vs-napkin)

## Common misspellings (9)
`anpkin`, `nakpin`, `napikn`, `napkinn`, `napkkin`, `napkni`, `nappkin`, `nnapkin`, `npakin`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/napkin