Kari Lisa Johnson
October 18, 2019
Common Questions

Words that start with K

Everyone wants an extensive vocabulary. Whether you’re playing games (like Scrabble or Words with Friends) or writing a paper, knowing more words can always come in handy. When you’re seeking kudos for your knowledge, throw some K-words into the mix. K is the 11th letter of the English alphabet, but it comes first in many kooky words! So, if you’re looking to kick your vocabulary into high gear, begin by learning a few words that start with the letter K.

We’ve created this list of words for you, organized by the number of letters in each word. Many of these words have more than one meaning. For simplicity, we’ve only listed one definition for each word. Keep in mind, this word list doesn’t contain every single English word that starts with K; however, it’s a useful introduction to this very special letter.

Here are some words that start with K [2-15 letter words]

15-Letter Words

kenogenetically – Adverb | In the manner of embryonic or larval adaptations that are not retained in the adult form (also spelled caenogenetically, cainogenetically, cainogenetically, and cenogenetically)

kindheartedness – Noun | The act of showing sympathy

14-Letter Words

karstification – Noun | The process of turning into porous limestone

kindergartener – Noun | A child of the age to attend or currently attending kindergarten (also spelled kindergartner)

kinetheodolite – Noun | A surveying instrument used to track missiles and satellites

kremlinologist – Noun | Someone who studies the policies of the former Soviet Union

13-Letter Words

kaleidoscopic – Adjective | Rapidly changing form, color, and pattern

kinematograph – Noun | An obsolete camera with a built-in projector and printer (also spelled cinematograph)

knickerbocker – Noun | A person descended from early Dutch settlers of New York

knuckleduster – Noun | Brass knuckles used as a weapon (also spelled knuckle-duster)

12-Letter Words

keratogenous – Adjective | Producing a horn or horn-like tissue

kettle-stitch – Noun | A knot used in bookbinding to hold sections together (also spelled kettle stitch)

kinaesthetic – Adjective | Pertaining to the sensation of muscle, joint, and tendon movement (also spelled kinesthetic)

knowledgable – Adjective | Having or exhibiting intelligence (also spelled knowledgeable)

11-Letter Words

keyboardist – Noun | A personal who plays a musical instrument with a bank of keys

kitchenette – Noun | A small kitchen

kleptocracy – Noun | A government ruled by thieves, who exploit their positions for personal gain

knuckleball – Noun | A baseball pitch that causes the ball to behave in an unpredictable way

10-Letter Words

keypuncher – Noun | A machine with a keyboard used to punch holes in cards

knighthood – Noun | The military rank of a knight

knobbiness – Noun | The quality or state of being lumpy

knackwurst – Noun | Thick, heavily-seasoned sausage (also spelled knockwurst)

9-Letter Word

kazillion – Noun | An immeasurably large number

kickabout – Noun | An informal soccer game (British English)

kidnapper – Noun | A person who abducts someone by force, usually with the intention of extracting a ransom

killifish – Noun | Small freshwater fish used in mosquito control and as bait

8-Letter Words

kamikaze – Noun | Japanese attack pilot from World War II, known for suicidal crash landings on enemy targets

kangaroo – Noun | Long-tailed marsupial found in New Guinea and Australia

keepsake – Noun | A memento, something handed down as a reminder of a person

kyphotic – Adjective | Suffering from kyphosis, hump-backed

7-Letter Words

ketchup – Noun | Tomato puree used as a condiment

kickoff – Noun | A kick that begins play in a football or soccer game

killjoy – Noun | A person who stops others from enjoying a pleasurable activity

kumquat – Noun | A small citrus fruit, often used for preserves

6-Letter Words

karate – Noun | A Japanese martial art studied for sport and self-defense

kimchi – Noun | A spicy Korean dish, consisting of pickled or fermented vegetables

kindle – Verb | To light a fire

kvetch – Verb | To complain

5-Letter Words

kanji – Noun | System of Japanese writing based on Chinese ideographs

kanzu – Noun | Long white robe worn by men in Eastern Africa

kapok – Noun | Silky fibers from the kapok tree used for insulation and bedding

kasha – Noun | Porridge made from cracked buckwheat

kayak – Noun | Fiberglass or plastic recreational boat, modeled on indigenous boats of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland

kazoo – Noun | Small metal or plastic musical instrument that makes buzzing sounds

kebab – Noun | A skewer with cubes of meat and vegetables, usually grilled (also spelled kabob and kebob)

kelpy – Noun | A water spirit in Celtic mythology (also spelled kelpie)

kempt – Adjective | Neat, well-kept

kiddy – Noun | A small child (also spelled kiddie)

klutz – Noun | A very clumsy person

4-Letter Words

kadi – Noun | A judge of Islamic law (also spelled qadi, cadi, and kadhi)

kagu – Noun | A flightless gray bird found in New Caledonia

kain – Noun | A sarong

kaka – Noun | A brown parrot found in New Zealand

kaki – Noun | A Japanese persimmon

kale – Noun | A dark green or purple cabbage with curled leaves (also spelled kail)

kame – Noun | A ridge or hill of sandy gravel deposited by glacial meltwater

kapa – Noun | A paper-like cloth made in the Pacific Islands from paper mulberry (also spelled tapa)

kaph – Noun | The eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet (also spelled khaf and kaf)

karn – Noun | A pile of stones used for a memorial or a landmark (also spelled cairn)

kata – Noun | A choreographed exercise sequence in martial arts

kava – Noun | A plant in the pepper family commonly used to produce an intoxicating beverage

kayo – Verb | To knock out, as in boxing

keck – Verb | To retch or make retching sounds

keek – Verb | To spy or peep (Scottish dialect)

keet – Noun | A young guinea fowl

kelt – Noun | A salmon or trout that has spawned

keno – Noun | A gambling game similar to bingo

kerb – Noun | Raised edge of a sidewalk (British English)

kerf – Noun | A slit or incision made by a saw

khat – Noun | A shrub of the staff-tree family with leaves that act as a stimulant when chewed or brewed in a tea

kibe – Noun | A chapped or ulcerated inflamation of the heel

kier – Noun | A large vat for dying, bleaching, or boiling textiles (also spelled keir)

kilt – Noun | Tartan skirts with pleats, traditionally worn by Scottish men

kina – Noun | Papa New Guinean currency

kine – Noun | Archaic term for cows (also spelled kye)

kink – Noun | A twist in rope, hair, wire, or thread

kino – Noun | A natural gum used in varnishes and astringents

kiosk – Noun | A small structure with open-air windows, often used to sell merchandise

kith – Noun | Friends and neighbors

kiva – Noun | A ceremonial structure found in Pueblo Indian villages

kiwi – Noun | Flightless bird found in New Zealand

knap – Verb | To break or shape with a sharp blow

knop – Noun | A knob, especially an ornamental one

kohl – Noun | Dark eyeliner popular in the Middle East

kook – Noun | Someone who behaves in an eccentric manner

kudos – Noun | Recognition given for an achievement

3-Letter Words

kae – Noun | A Scottish term for a jackdaw

kea – Noun | A brownish-green parrot found in the mountains of New Zealand

kef – Noun | A dreamy state (also spelled kif)

keg – Noun | A small barrel used to store alcohol

kep – Verb | To catch (Scottish dialect)

kex – Noun | The dry stalk of a hollow-stemmed plant (British English)

khi – Noun | The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet (also spelled chi)

kip – Noun | Laotian currency

kir – Noun | A beverage made with white wine and crème de cassis

kob – Noun | An African antelope

kop – Noun | A hill in South Africa

kue – Noun | The letter Q (British English)

ka – Noun | An individual soul in ancient Egyptian religion

2-Letter Words

Use words that start with the letter K to kindle your passion for crossword puzzles. If you memorize this list, you’ll be able to impress kith and kin with knowledgeable answers to a kazillion different questions. No word finder will be able to knock you for a loop. From ka to kindheartedness, you’ll be prepared with the right K-word for any occasion.

Because C, Q, and K sound alike, especially when used at the beginning of a word, you may notice that many of the words on this list have variant spellings. K also corresponds to the Greek letter kappa and the Arabic and Hebrew letter kaph, so quite a few words on the list have been borrowed from other languages. For instance, kebab is a transliteration of an Arabic word, which is why it can be written a number of different ways in English. You might spell it kebab, kabob, or kebob—and you’d be correct!

Click here for more Scrabble cheat sheets.

Sources:

The Word Counter is a dynamic online tool used for counting words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and pages in real time, along with spelling and grammar checking.

Kari Lisa Johnson

I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. In my previous roles as new media producer with Rosetta Stone, director of marketing for global ventures with The Juilliard School, and vice president of digital strategy with Up & Coming Media, I helped develop the voice for international brands. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects.

Words That Start With K: Your Scrabble Cheat Sheet