robin

/ˈɹɒ.bɪn/

//ˈɹɒ.bɪn// noun

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

"robin" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“robin” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,118. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,118
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of various passerine birds (about 100 species) of the families Muscicapidae, Turdidae and Petroicidae (formerly Eopsaltriidae), typically with a red breast.

Corpus desk

Index EN-robin · robin · English

robin · rank #4,118 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,118
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH rings

Nearest frequency peer: rings (-1 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 “robin”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “robin” 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).

robin vs Ron
40% similar
robin vs Roi
40% similar
robin vs ruin
60% similar

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

Key facts for robin
PropertyValue
Headwordrobin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɒ.bɪn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#4,118
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “robin”

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).robinlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “rings” (#4,117), “Russell” (#4,119), “reward” (#4,116). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “robin” is #4,118. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around robin (IPA /ˈɹɒ.bɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,118 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for robin, with forms such as "orbin", "rboin", and "robbin". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Ron", "Roi", "ruin", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Short for robin redbreast. Also from Middle English robynet, robynett (“robin (bird)”), from the Middle English name Robynett, a diminutive of the Middle English name Robyn (“Robin”). ] ] The correct English form is robin, spelled R-O-B-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various passerine birds (about 100 species) of the families Muscicapidae, Turdidae and Petroicidae (formerly Eopsaltriidae), typically with a red breast.
  2. 2
    Any of various passerine birds (about 100 species) of the families Muscicapidae, Turdidae and Petroicidae (formerly Eopsaltriidae), typically with a red breast.
  3. 3
    A trimming in front of a dress.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how robin appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. As they turned into Hertford Street they startled a robin from the poet's head on a barren fountain, and he fled away with a cameo note.

Etymology

Short for robin redbreast. Also from Middle English robynet, robynett (“robin (bird)”), from the Middle English name Robynett, a diminutive of the Middle English name Robyn (“Robin”). ] ]

Synonyms

redbreastrobin redbreastruddock

This word in other languages

petirrojo(Español)grive(Français)Rotkehlchen(Deutsch)tordo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • orbin
  • rboin
  • robbin
  • robinn
  • robni
  • roibn
  • rrobin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

orbin2rboin2robbin1robinn1robni2roibn2rrobin1
Edit distance from "robin"

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 "robin"?
"robin" is spelled R-O-B-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɒ.bɪn/.
What does "robin" mean?
As a noun, "robin" means: Any of various passerine birds (about 100 species) of the families Muscicapidae, Turdidae and Petroicidae (formerly Eopsaltriidae), typically with a red breast.
What words are commonly confused with "robin"?
"robin" is commonly confused with "Ron", "Roi", "ruin". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "robin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "robin" is /ˈɹɒ.bɪn/. 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 "robin"?
Short for robin redbreast. Also from Middle English robynet, robynett (“robin (bird)”), from the Middle English name Robynett, a diminutive of the Middle English name Robyn (“Robin”). ] ] 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 "robin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rings#4,117shake#4,121shore#4,122spots#4,123

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

jokes7 variantsbones7 variantscommit7 variantsbrave7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list