English spellings/Catalogs/K

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Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
Common misspellings

This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with K. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.

For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.^[e]

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K = Kây person

Kàbul *Kàbl, though some say Kabùl

Kadìma

Kafkaésque *Káfkə-ésk: there may be a glottal stop before é

Kaîser Germany = Kaîzer South Africa

Kaláshnikov -óff

kamikàzê

Kándy Sri Lanka = cándy sweets

Kâne Citizen = câne = Câne = Câin Abel

kâolin *kâyəlin

kapùt unlike German 'kaputt'

Káradzic *Káradjitch

karaôkê *kariôkêy, *cárry-ôkie

Káren

Kàrín Giannone

kàrma

Kashmìr Asia = cashmêre wool, though for many who live there or close, the a is a schwa, *Kəshmìr

Kathmandû *Cát-mán-do

Kátz person = cáts cat

Kâylêigh McEnany *Kâly Mácanény

Keànu *Kê-ànû

Keàrney Martha = Càrney Harry

kebáb makes a minimal pair with cabál

kêen interested, sharp = Kêane = Kêene persons

Kêighley *Kêithley

Kêith

Kéllaway

Kélso

kélvin temperature = Kélvin person

Kénilworth

kénnel

Kénneth

Kénya (also "Kênya" until the 1960s)

kërb BrE street = cürb lessen, street

kërnel centre BrE = colonel army

kérosêne or kérosìne

Kërr person = cür dog

Kérry cf. Cãry = Cãrey (minimal pair)

késtrel

kétchup

kéttle water cf. cáttle farm (minimal pair)

Keŵ Gardens = queûe line = cûe theatre, billiards

kêy door = quaỳ port = Kêe person

kêyboard one word, cf. sêaboard

Kèynes John Maynard = cânes

Kêynes Milton = kêens

Kèynsham

Kézia Dúgdale

Khachatûrian *Kachachûrian

khàkì, either syllable stressed

Khamenèì -nâ-êe

Khartoûm makes a minimal pair with cartoôn

Khmér K(ə)m-

Khomèini

Khrùshchev *Khroòsh-chóff is the closest to the Russian Хрущёв, and was the contemporary BBC pronunciation, though usually with initial stress

kibbùtz

kíd child, goat = Kídd = Kýdd

kídnáp

Kìév or *Kìéff or like Ukrainian (and as seen on Euronews) Kỳív

Kilinóchchi: only one ch pronounced

kìlo

kílomêtre or kilómetre; AmE -er

kînd

kíndred -dríd

kíngly

Kíngsley cf. Mackínley

Kinshàsa -ssə

Kirkcåldy

Kirkûdbrìght *Kəkûbry

Kíribati *Kíribàs (rendition of Gílberts)

kítsch *kítch

Klán Ku Klux = clán

Kleîn = Clîne

kn- n-

knâve cad, cards = nâve church

knêad dough = nêed necessary = knêed knee

knêejerk one word, n-

knêel down = Nêil, etc. persons

Knésset, K sounded

kneŵ know = neŵ fresh

kníck-knáck cf. Níck

knîght chess, Sir *nîte = Knîght person = nîght dark

Knîghtley = nîghtly

knít wool = nít creature, fool

knóck *nóck, cf. noòk

knót tie = nót no = Knótt person

knôw acquaint = nô negative

knôw-hòw knowledge is hyphenated = nôhòw anyhow

knôw-nothing adjective one word

knówledge *nólij rhymes with cóllege

knówledgeable *nólijəbl

knôwn cf. nòne

knôws know = nôse face

Knóx person = knócks knock, n-; cf. nóxious *nókshəss

koàla, cf. Kuàla Lùmpur

Kôch Industries = côke fuel = Côke Cola

Köestler, first syllable = BrE cürse

Kolkàta = Calcútta old spelling (presumably the change is an attempt to stop people pronouncing it Cál instead of cåll)

koòky eccentric = coòkie cake

kŏra makes a minimal pair with chŏral

Koràn

Koránic

Korêa peninsula = BrE carêer job, fast

Korêan

kôsher

Kósovô BrE; AmE Kôsovô, both -ss-

kowtòw *kòw-tòw

Krāft person = crāft skill

Krakatôa

Krákow, Krácow, Crácow *Cráckóff

kràùtróck *cròutróck, not capitalised

Kuàla Lùmpur, cf. koàla

Kuîper bélt Kî-

kúmquat BrE -qùat, AmE -quàt, -quåt

Kürt person = cürt abrupt

Kuwâit

Kwóuk Burt *Kwók

Kÿrgýz, Kyrgyzstān (Kýr- has mostly regularised to Kÿr-)

*Kyro Caîro