sunshine

/ˈsʌnʃaɪn/

//ˈsʌnʃaɪn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“sunshine” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,556 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,556
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.

Key facts for sunshine
PropertyValue
Headwordsunshine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsʌnʃaɪn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,556
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sunshine” 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). sunshine 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 sunshine is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,556 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for sunshine, with forms such as "snushine", "ssunshine", and "sunhsine". 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. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: In the Coverdale Bible in 1535, in Genesis and Exodus about 1250 as Middle English sunnesine; synchronically sun + shine. Compare isolated Old English sunsċīn (“mirror”). The correct English form is sunshine, spelled S-U-N-S-H-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.
  2. 2
    A location on which the sun's rays fall.
  3. 3
    Geniality or cheerfulness.
  4. 4
    A source of cheerfulness or joy.
  5. 5
    The effect which the sun has when it lights and warms some place.
  6. 6
    Friendly form of address often reserved for juniors.
  7. 7
    Ironic form of address used to an inferior or troublemaker.
  8. 8
    Used to address someone who has just woken up and/or is very sleepy.
  9. 9
    Ellipsis of orange sunshine.

Etymology

In the Coverdale Bible in 1535, in Genesis and Exodus about 1250 as Middle English sunnesine; synchronically sun + shine. Compare isolated Old English sunsċīn (“mirror”).

This word in other languages

sol(Español)soleil(Français)Sonnenschein(Deutsch)sol(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: snushine,ssunshine,sunhsine,sunnshine,sunshhine,sunshien,sunshinne,sunshnie,sunsihne,sunsshine,susnhine,usnshine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sunshine - 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.

snushine2ssunshine1sunhsine2sunnshine1sunshhine1sunshien2sunshinne1sunshnie2
Edit distance from "sunshine"

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 "sunshine"?
"sunshine" is spelled S-U-N-S-H-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/.
What does "sunshine" mean?
As a noun, "sunshine" means: The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.
What are common misspellings of "sunshine"?
Common misspellings include "snushine", "ssunshine", "sunhsine", "sunnshine", "sunshhine". The correct spelling is "sunshine".
How do you pronounce "sunshine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sunshine" is /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/. 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 "sunshine"?
In the Coverdale Bible in 1535, in Genesis and Exodus about 1250 as Middle English sunnesine; synchronically sun + shine. Compare isolated Old English sunsċīn (“mirror”). 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 “sunshine”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-N-S-H-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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