kitten

\ˈkɪtn̩\

/\ˈkɪtn̩\/ verb

The verdict

“kitten” is uncommon French (frequency #82,162 among 110,375 “K” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#82,162
frequency rank, French
110,375
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Mastiquer.

Key facts for kitten
PropertyValue
Headwordkitten
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ˈkɪtn̩\
Letters6
Frequency rank#82,162
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kitten” sits in French 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). kitten lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

kitten is uncommon French at frequency #82,162 among 110,375 “K” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed \ˈkɪtn̩\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for kitten in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is kitten, spelled K-I-T-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mastiquer.
  2. 2
    Réparer, recoller.

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "kitten"?
"kitten" is spelled K-I-T-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈkɪtn̩\.
What does "kitten" mean?
As a verb, "kitten" means: Mastiquer.
How do you pronounce "kitten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kitten" is \ˈkɪtn̩\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "kitten" come from?
"kitten" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “kitten”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is K-I-T-T-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈkɪtn̩\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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