skinhead

/ˈskɪn.hɛd/

//ˈskɪn.hɛd// noun

"skinhead" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“skinhead” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,903. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,903
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone with a shaved head.

Corpus desk

Index EN-skinhead · skinhead · English

skinhead · rank #42,903 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,903
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH skank

Nearest frequency peer: skank (-2 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 “skinhead”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “skinhead” 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).

skinhead vs skinned
75% similar
skinhead vs Sinead
63% similar
skinhead vs shithead
75% similar

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

Key facts for skinhead
PropertyValue
Headwordskinhead
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskɪn.hɛd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#42,903
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “skinhead”

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).skinheadlands 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 “skank” (#42,901), “Sligo” (#42,905), “SJW” (#42,900). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “skinhead” is #42,903. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around skinhead (IPA /ˈskɪn.hɛd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,903 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for skinhead, with forms such as "ksinhead", "siknhead", and "skihnead". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "skinned", "Sinead", "shithead", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)kenH- Proto-Germanic *skinþąder. Middle English skyn English skin Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *káput- Proto-Germanic *haubudą Old English hēafod Middle English heed English head English skinhead From … The correct English form is skinhead, spelled S-K-I-N-H-E-A-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone with a shaved head.
  2. 2
    A member of a subculture that arose among working-class youth in late 1960s England or its diaspora, defined by close-cropped or shaven heads and working-class clothing, and often associated with violence and white-supremacist or anti-immigrant principles.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Their rules haven't changed: Skinheads are very young, mostly between the ages of 13 and 18, and they come from strictly working class backgrounds. They wear short‐ankled denims, T‐shirts, suspenders and heavy boots known as Bovverboots (Botherboots), and their hair is shorn to an eighth of an inch all over their skulls. They dance the Reggae, a West Indi…
  2. By the end of the show, fights would break out all over the place: the Atlantic City skins against the crew from Philly; the oldschool skinheads feuding with overzealous fresh-cuts.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)kenH- Proto-Germanic *skinþąder. Middle English skyn English skin Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *káput- Proto-Germanic *haubudą Old English hēafod Middle English heed English head English skinhead From skin + head.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ksinhead
  • siknhead
  • skihnead
  • skinehad
  • skinhaed
  • skinheadd
  • skinheda
  • skinhhead
  • skinnhead
  • skkinhead
  • sknihead
  • sskinhead

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ksinhead2siknhead2skihnead2skinehad2skinhaed2skinheadd1skinheda2skinhhead1
Edit distance from "skinhead"

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 "skinhead"?
"skinhead" is spelled S-K-I-N-H-E-A-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskɪn.hɛd/.
What does "skinhead" mean?
As a noun, "skinhead" means: Someone with a shaved head.
What words are commonly confused with "skinhead"?
"skinhead" is commonly confused with "skinned", "Sinead", "shithead". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "skinhead"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "skinhead" is /ˈskɪn.hɛd/. 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 "skinhead"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)kenH- Proto-Germanic *skinþąder. Middle English skyn English skin Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *káput- Proto-Germanic *haubudą Old English hēafod Middle English heed English head English skin... 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 "skinhead", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list