Kindergartner or Kindergartener: Which Spelling Is Correct?

The moment an individual sends off their children to school for the first time can be a moving one. Often, it’s even more than that: having the little ones start kindergarten can be quite emotional.

How do you name those kids? Do you say “Kindergartner” or “Kindergartener”? Let’s find out!

Kindergartner or Kindergartener: Which Spelling Is Correct?

Actually, both forms of the word are correct. “Kindergartner” is what we call the five-year-old child that is in their first year of school, which is called “Kindergarten”. “Kindergartener” is just an alternate way to spell the same word, and means the same. You can use the form you prefer.

Take a look at the examples below:

• I can’t believe Tara’s kid is a kindergartner already.
• I can’t believe Tara’s kid is a kindergartener already.

• Kindergartners are usually so proud of themselves, it’s cute.
• Kindergarteners are usually so proud of themselves, it’s cute.

As you can see by the examples, both words work well: “Kindergartner” and “Kindergartener” are synonyms and can interchange without harming the meaning of the sentence.

In other words, having a child in kindergarten may be a big deal. How you choose to call them, if “Kindergartener” or “Kindergartner”, is not.

Kindergartner

“Kindergartner” is the child who is in “Kindergarten”, the first year of school for children aged five. It’s the first step on a student’s academic journey. Instead of saying a child “attends kindergarten”, parents and teachers simplify it by just saying that a child is a “Kindergartner”.

That’s the exact same definition we find in The Cambridge Dictionary. Let’s go over some examples of sentences with the word “Kindergartner”:

1. The kindergartners are in recess, so you’ll find them in the playground.
2. The kindergartners should be leaving school now.
3. My son is a kindergartner, and I couldn’t be prouder.
4. She was the smartest kindergartner I’d ever taught.
5. They were both kindergartners when we moved to London.
6. The kindergartners were super excited about the Christmas party.

“Kindergartner” and “Kindergartener” are alternate spellings for the same words, that have the same meaning and identify the same group of people. You can choose to use “Kindergartner” or “Kindergartener”, as you wish.

Kindergartener

“Kindergartener” is an alternate spelling for the word “Kindergartner”. It also indicates a child who’s in the first year of school, at five years old. A “Kindergartener” is attending the first year of a student’s academic pathway. “Kindergartener” interchanges with and is a synonym of “Kindergartner”.

In fact, the definition in The Cambridge Dictionary is the same for both words.

1. The kindergarteners were very loud and playful, but also sweet.
2. The kindergarteners’ teacher was trying to get their attention.
3. Is Julia a kindergartener? She’s so smart!
4. Michelle’s son is a kindergartener, super excited to go to school.
5. Bill isn’t a kindergartener, yet. He won’t turn five until next year.
6. Show and tell is an activity that usually makes kindergarteners very excited.

Keep in mind that “Kindergartener” and “Kindergartner” are synonymous and can always interchange. Try to find out which form is more common in your area, or which form you feel more comfortable using, and go for that.

Regardless of which word you choose, you’ll always be correct.

Which Is Used the Most?

Which one of those forms is used more often, “Kindergartner” or “Kindergartener”? Both mean the same, but we’d still like to know which form is considered to be preferred. Let’s take a look at the graph from Google Ngram Viewer below.

“Kindergartner” is the most used word when we compare the two. However, it’s not by a large difference. In fact, the graph shows that, over time, both words have had the same oscillations in use, always following the same trend.

“Kindergartener” is following “Kindergartner” from a relatively close spot, showing that both words are valid and acceptable. You can choose the form you’re most comfortable with, and use it in your daily communications.

Final Thoughts

“Kindergartner” and “Kindergartener” are alternate spellings for the same word. They share the same meaning, and can always interchange, without harming the content of any sentence you may construct. They describe a young child who’s in the first year of school, starting their formal education journey.