whin

/wɪn/

//wɪn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“whin” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Gorse; furze (Ulex spp.).

Key facts for whin
PropertyValue
Headwordwhin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/wɪn/
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “whin” sits in English frequency

whin falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

whin is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /wɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for whin in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English whynne, from Old Norse hvein (“gorse, furze”) (compare Norwegian kvein (“bent grass”), Swedish ven (“bent grass”), dialectal hven (“swamp”)), apparently from hvein (“swampy land”), from Proto-Germanic *hwainō, *hwin- (“swamp; moor”), fro… The correct English form is whin, spelled W-H-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gorse; furze (Ulex spp.).
  2. 2
    The plant woad-waxen (Genista tinctoria).

Etymology

From Middle English whynne, from Old Norse hvein (“gorse, furze”) (compare Norwegian kvein (“bent grass”), Swedish ven (“bent grass”), dialectal hven (“swamp”)), apparently from hvein (“swampy land”), from Proto-Germanic *hwainō, *hwin- (“swamp; moor”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱʷeyn- (“to soil; mud; filth”). Compare Latin caenum (“filth”), Latin inquīnō (“to sully; soil”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "whin"?
"whin" is spelled W-H-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /wɪn/.
What does "whin" mean?
As a noun, "whin" means: Gorse; furze (Ulex spp.).
How do you pronounce "whin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "whin" is /wɪn/. 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 "whin"?
From Middle English whynne, from Old Norse hvein (“gorse, furze”) (compare Norwegian kvein (“bent grass”), Swedish ven (“bent grass”), dialectal hven (“swamp”)), apparently from hvein (“swampy land”), from Proto-Germanic *hwainō, *hwin- (“swamp; m... 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 “whin”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-H-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /wɪn/ (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