quaint

/kweɪnt/

//kweɪnt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“quaint” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,468 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#20,468
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of a person: cunning, crafty.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

quaint vs quit
67% similar
quaint vs quiet
67% similar
quaint vs Quinn
50% similar

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

Key facts for quaint
PropertyValue
Headwordquaint
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kweɪnt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#20,468
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “quaint” 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). quaint 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 quaint is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kweɪnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,468 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for quaint, with forms such as "qauint", "qquaint", and "quainnt". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "quit", "quiet", "Quinn", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English queynte, quoynte, from Anglo-Norman cointe, queinte and Old French cointe (“pretty, clever, knowing”), from Latin cognitus, past participle of cognōscō (“I know”). The correct English form is quaint, spelled Q-U-A-I-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a person: cunning, crafty.
  2. 2
    Cleverly made; artfully contrived.
  3. 3
    Strange or odd; unusual.
  4. 4
    Overly discriminating or needlessly meticulous; fastidious; prim.
  5. 5
    Pleasingly unusual; especially, having old-fashioned charm.

Etymology

From Middle English queynte, quoynte, from Anglo-Norman cointe, queinte and Old French cointe (“pretty, clever, knowing”), from Latin cognitus, past participle of cognōscō (“I know”).

This word in other languages

pintoresco(Español)pittoresque(Français)pittoresk(Deutsch)encanto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: qauint,qquaint,quainnt,quaintt,quaitn,quanit,quiant,uqaint

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of quaint - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

qauint2qquaint1quainnt1quaintt1quaitn2quanit2quiant2uqaint2
Edit distance from "quaint"

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 "quaint"?
"quaint" is spelled Q-U-A-I-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /kweɪnt/.
What does "quaint" mean?
As an adjective, "quaint" means: Of a person: cunning, crafty.
What words are commonly confused with "quaint"?
"quaint" is commonly confused with "quit", "quiet", "Quinn". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "quaint"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quaint" is /kweɪnt/. 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 "quaint"?
From Middle English queynte, quoynte, from Anglo-Norman cointe, queinte and Old French cointe (“pretty, clever, knowing”), from Latin cognitus, past participle of cognōscō (“I know”). 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 “quaint”

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

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