# scion

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsaɪən/ · frequency rank #28,010

## Definitions
1. A descendant, especially a first-generation descendant of a distinguished family.
2. The heir to a throne.
3. A guardian.
4. A detached shoot or twig containing buds from a woody plant, used in grafting; a shoot or twig in a general sense.

## Etymology
From Middle English sion, sioun, syon, scion, cion, from Old French cion, ciun, cyon, sion, from Frankish *kīþō, *kīþ, from Proto-Germanic *kīþô, *kīþą, *kīþaz (“sprout”), from Proto-Indo-European *geye- (“to split open, sprout”), same source as Old English ċīþ (“a young shoot; sprout; germ; sprig”), Old Saxon kīth (“sprout; germ”), Old High German kīdi (“offshoot; sprout; germ”). See also French scion and Picard chion. Doublet of chit.

## Easily confused with
- **son** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-son)
- **sin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-sin)
- **SCO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-sco)
- **soon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-soon)
- **sign** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-sign)
- **skin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-skin)
- **spin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-spin)
- **shin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-shin)
- **Scot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-scot)
- **Sion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-sion)
- **sian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-sian)
- **Simon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-simon)
- **spoon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-spoon)
- **scoop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-scoop)
- **socio** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-socio)
- **scorn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-scorn)
- **swoon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-swoon)
- **seton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-seton)
- **scoot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-scoot)
- **scone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scion-vs-scone)

## Common misspellings (7)
`csion`, `sccion`, `scino`, `scionn`, `scoin`, `sicon`, `sscion`

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