spin

/spɪn/

//spɪn// verb

"spin" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“spin” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,786 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#3,786
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

spin vs sun
50% similar
spin vs spy
50% similar
spin vs STI
0% similar

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

Key facts for spin
PropertyValue
Headwordspin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/spɪn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#3,786
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “spin” 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). spin 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 spin is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /spɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,786 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 21 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for spin, with forms such as "psin", "sipn", and "spinn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "sun", "spy", "STI", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, from Proto-Germanic *spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁-. Cognates Cognate with Dutch, German spinnen (“to spin”), Luxembourgish spannen (“to spin”), Yiddish שפּינען (shpinen, “spin”), Danish … The correct English form is spin, spelled S-P-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.
  2. 2
    To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.
  3. 3
    To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.
  4. 4
    To make yarn by twisting and winding fibers together.
  5. 5
    To present, describe, or interpret, or to introduce a bias or slant, so as to give something a favorable or advantageous appearance.
  6. 6
    To make the ball move sideways when it bounces on the pitch.
  7. 7
    To move sideways when bouncing.
  8. 8
    To form into thin strips or ribbons, as with sugar
  9. 9
    To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, etc.) from threads produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid, which hardens on coming into contact with the air; said of the spider, the silkworm, etc.
  10. 10
    To shape, as malleable sheet metal, into a hollow form, by bending or buckling it by pressing against it with a smooth hand tool or roller while the metal revolves, as in a lathe.
  11. 11
    To move swiftly.
  12. 12
    To stream or issue in a thread or a small current or jet.
  13. 13
    To wait in a loop until some condition becomes true.
  14. 14
    To rotate into the gravel or managing to remain on the straight as a result of bad weather.
  15. 15
    To play (vinyl records, etc.) as a disc jockey.
  16. 16
    To use an exercise bicycle, especially as part of a gym class.
  17. 17
    To ride a bicycle at a fast cadence.
  18. 18
    To search rapidly.
  19. 19
    To draw out tediously; prolong.
  20. 20
    To fish with a swivel or spoonbait.
  21. 21
    To reject at an examination; to fail (a student).

Etymology

From Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, from Proto-Germanic *spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁-. Cognates Cognate with Dutch, German spinnen (“to spin”), Luxembourgish spannen (“to spin”), Yiddish שפּינען (shpinen, “spin”), Danish spinde (“to spin”), Faroese, Icelandic and Swedish spinna (“to spin”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk spinne (“to spin”), Gothic 𐍃𐍀𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (spinnan, “to spin”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: psin,sipn,spinn,spni,sppin,sspin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of spin - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

psin2sipn2spinn1spni2sppin1sspin1
Edit distance from "spin"

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 "spin"?
"spin" is spelled S-P-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /spɪn/.
What does "spin" mean?
As a verb, "spin" means: To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.
What words are commonly confused with "spin"?
"spin" is commonly confused with "sun", "spy", "STI". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "spin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "spin" is /spɪn/. 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 "spin"?
From Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, from Proto-Germanic *spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁-. Cognates Cognate with Dutch, German spinnen (“to spin”), Luxembourgish spannen (“to spin”), Yiddish שפּינען (shpinen, “spin”... 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 “spin”

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

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