violin

/ˌvaɪ.əˈlɪn/

//ˌvaɪ.əˈlɪn// noun

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

"violin" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“violin” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,634 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,634
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small unfretted stringed instrument with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) G-D-A-E, usually held against the chin and played with a bow.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

violin vs virgin
67% similar
violin vs violins
86% similar
violin vs viola
67% similar

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

Key facts for violin
PropertyValue
Headwordviolin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌvaɪ.əˈlɪn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#10,634
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “violin” 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). violin 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 violin is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌvaɪ.əˈlɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,634 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for violin, with forms such as "ivolin", "viloin", and "vioiln". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "virgin", "violins", "viola", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Italian violino (“little viola”), from viola + -ino (forming diminutives). The correct English form is violin, spelled V-I-O-L-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small unfretted stringed instrument with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) G-D-A-E, usually held against the chin and played with a bow.
  2. 2
    Any instrument of the violin family, always inclusive of violins, violas and cellos, and sometimes further including the double bass.
  3. 3
    A violinist in an orchestra or group.

Etymology

From Italian violino (“little viola”), from viola + -ino (forming diminutives).

Synonyms

fiddlecrowd

This word in other languages

violín(Español)violon(Français)Geige(Deutsch)violino(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ivolin,viloin,vioiln,violinn,viollin,violni,voilin,vviolin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of violin - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ivolin2viloin2vioiln2violinn1viollin1violni2voilin2vviolin1
Edit distance from "violin"

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 "violin"?
"violin" is spelled V-I-O-L-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌvaɪ.əˈlɪn/.
What does "violin" mean?
As a noun, "violin" means: A small unfretted stringed instrument with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) G-D-A-E, usually held against the chin and played with a bow.
What words are commonly confused with "violin"?
"violin" is commonly confused with "virgin", "violins", "viola". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "violin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "violin" is /ˌvaɪ.əˈlɪn/. 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 "violin"?
From Italian violino (“little viola”), from viola + -ino (forming diminutives). 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 “violin”

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

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