The word "kinsel" is spelled with the letter "k", not "c", despite the similar sound of both letters. The reason for this is that "kinsel" comes from the German word "Kinsel", which is spelled with a "K" in German. In IPA phonetic transcription, "kinsel" is pronounced /ˈkɪnsəl/, with the first sound being the voiceless velar stop "k". Alternative spellings with a "c," such as "cinsel" or "sinzel," are not correct and would not reflect the word's true origins.