K (letter): Difference between revisions

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==Use in English==
==Use in English==
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}}
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}}
'''k''' has the sound of '''c''' in '''cát''' or '''q''' in '''quîte'''.  Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English spellings]]): '''Ként, kéttle, kítsch, loòk, tâke, toòk, lâke, báck, dóck, bríck, åwkward''' (*åwquərd), '''hácker'''.


('''c''' is more common for this sound at the beginning of a word, but only before back vowels '''a, o''' and '''u''': '''cátch, cóld, cúp''', as it turns into an 's' before front vowels: '''cíty''', '''cêreal''' ''food'' = '''sêrial''' ''series''; and the '''k''' sound can also be written '''ch''' as in '''chŏrd, álchemy, schoôner'''.)


At the end of a word, '''k''' is usual after a double or long vowel, and after '''l''', '''n''' and '''r''': '''pêak, mâke, sínk, boòk, tánk, thánk, àrk, bàrk, sínk, mínk, mílk, tålk, jërk, quïrk, wörk, përk, lürk, Türk, besërk'''.
'''k''' has the sound of '''c''' in '''cát''' or '''q''' in '''quîte''': '''Ként, kéttle, kítsch, loòk, tâke, toòk, lâke, báck, dóck, bríck, åwkward''' (*åwquərd), '''hácker'''.


The '''l''' in '''fôlk''' is silent (as it is also in '''hālf''' and '''cālf''').
{{:English_spellings/Accents}}


Final -'''ke''' appears in '''pôke, tâke, bâke, sâke, lâke, câke, lîke, blôke, pôke, wâke, râke''', and forms many abbreviations: '''nûke''' (abbreviation of '''nûclear'''), '''bîke''' (of '''bîcycle'''), '''Jâke''' (of '''Jâcob''').
'''c''' is more common for this sound at the beginning of a word, but only before back vowels '''a, o''' and '''u''': '''cátch, cóld, cúp''', as its sound turns into an '''s''' before front vowels: '''cíty''', '''cêreal''' ''food'' = '''sêrial''' ''series''. The '''k''' sound can also be written '''ch''' as in '''chŏrd''' ''music'' (= '''cŏrd''' ''rope''), '''álchemy''', '''schoôner'''.


Also:  '''brâke''' ''car'' = '''breâk''' ''broken''; '''jûkebox'''.
At the end of a word, '''k''' is usual after a double or long vowel, and after '''l''', '''n''' and '''r''': '''pêak, mâke, sínk, boòk, tánk, thánk, àrk, bàrk, sínk, mínk, mílk, tålk, jërk, quïrk, wörk, përk, lürk, Türk, besërk, fôlk''' (silent '''l''').


After '''c''', '''k''' merely reinforces the hard '''c''' sound and the preceding short vowel: '''clóck''' (*clók, *clóc), '''lúck, súck, néck, báck, thíck, blóck''' ''wood'' (= '''blóc''' ''nations''), '''tíck''' ''clock'' (= '''tíc''' ''spasm'', which has no k because it is, like '''blóc''', from French), '''tíckle, crícket, wícket, tícket, níckel, ríckety, búcket'''.  And so '''k''' is added to the ending -'''ic''' before suffixes -'''ing''' and -'''ed''': '''politícking, tráfficking, frólicked, pánicked'''.
Final -'''ke''' appears in '''pôke, tâke, bâke, sâke, lâke, câke, lîke, blôke, pôke, wâke, râke''', '''brâke''' ''car'' = '''breâk''' ''broken'', and forms many abbreviations: '''nûke''' (abbreviation of '''nûclear'''), '''bîke''' (of '''bîcycle'''), '''Jâke''' (of '''Jâcob''').


Thus the '''ck''' combination does not occur after long vowels - one does not see -êeck, -oôck, -orck, -àrck etc.
After '''c''', '''k''' merely reinforces the hard '''c''' sound and the preceding short vowel: '''clóck''' (*clók, *clóc), '''lúck, súck, néck, báck, thíck, blóck''' ''wood'' (= '''blóc''' ''nations''), '''tíck''' ''clock'' (= '''tíc''' ''spasm'', which has no '''k''' because it is, like '''blóc''', from French), '''tíckle, crícket, wícket, tícket, níckel, ríckety, búcket'''.  And so '''k''' is added to the ending -'''ic''' before suffixes -'''ing''' and -'''ed''': '''politícking, tráfficking, frólicked, pánicked''' (*frólict, *pánict).


And similarly, final '''k''' on its own is rare, and imported-looking, after a single vowel: '''trék, flák, wók'''.
Thus the '''ck''' combination does not usually occur after long vowels: one does not see -êeck, -oôck, -orck, -àrck etc., though '''Åuckland''' is an exception.
 
'''ck''' is silent in '''blá'''ck'''g'''ua'''rd''' (rhymes with '''lággard''') and '''Cô'''ck'''bürn''' (= '''Côburn''').
 
Final '''k''' on its own is rare after a single vowel: '''trék, flák, wók'''.


'''c''' or '''ck''' are generally used instead of '''k''' when forming clusters, with the exception of '''wóks''' etc. and of '''kl''' as in '''boòklet''', especially in '''nkl''' ('''nk''' is pronounced -ngk-): '''sínk, thínk, tánk''', '''ánkle''' (cf. '''úncle'''), '''wínkle, héckle, fréckle, ínkling, tínkle, tínkling, chúckle'''.
'''c''' or '''ck''' are generally used instead of '''k''' when forming clusters, with the exception of '''wóks''' etc. and of '''kl''' as in '''boòklet''', especially in '''nkl''' ('''nk''' is pronounced -ngk-): '''sínk, thínk, tánk''', '''ánkle''' (cf. '''úncle'''), '''wínkle, héckle, fréckle, ínkling, tínkle, tínkling, chúckle'''.
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'''kh''' has the sound of '''ch''' in Scottish '''lóch'''  in words from Arabic, Urdu &c. - although many people merely pronounce it '''k''': '''Khàn''' (*Kàn).
'''kh''' has the sound of '''ch''' in Scottish '''lóch'''  in words from Arabic, Urdu &c. - although many people merely pronounce it '''k''': '''Khàn''' (*Kàn).
   
   
'''kk''' is very rare.  It occurs in '''púkka''' and '''Dékker''' (= '''Décker''', a more common spelling) and accidentally, with an extended '''k''' sound, in '''boòkkeeper'''.
'''kk''' is very rare.  It occurs in '''púkka''' and '''Dékker''' (= '''Décker''') and accidentally, with an extended '''k''' sound, in '''boòkkeeper'''.
 
==Scientific uses==


==See also==
*k prefix: kilo, 1000 in normal usage, 1024 in computing
*[[Apostrophe]]
*K: kelvin, scientific unit of temperature
*[[Hyphen]]
*K: kaon, a family of mesons[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]
*[[Spelling pronunciation]]
*[[Letter (alphabet)]]
*[[Alphabet]]
*[[Writing system]]
*[[Orthography]]
*[[Written language]]
*[[Writing]]

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K, k is a letter of the Latin alphabet. It is the eleventh letter of most variants, being placed after J and before L, as is the case for instance in the English alphabet. Its English name is pronounced [ˈkeɪ], like the girl's name Kay. It is derived from the Greek letter kappa (Κ, κ).

Use in English

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list  
Common misspellings  


k has the sound of c in cát or q in quîte: Ként, kéttle, kítsch, loòk, tâke, toòk, lâke, báck, dóck, bríck, åwkward (*åwquərd), hácker.

  • The accents show stress and pronunciation (see English spellings): A: sát, mâde, pàrk, cāst (cást/càst), åll, ãir; E: ére, êar, vèin, fërn; I: sít, mîne, skì, bïrd; O: sóng, môde, lòve, wörd, ŏr; OO: moôn, foòt; U: sún, mûse, fùll, pürr; W: neŵ, ẁant; Y: gým, mŷ, keỳ, mÿrrh.

c is more common for this sound at the beginning of a word, but only before back vowels a, o and u: cátch, cóld, cúp, as its sound turns into an s before front vowels: cíty, cêreal food = sêrial series. The k sound can also be written ch as in chŏrd music (= cŏrd rope), álchemy, schoôner.

At the end of a word, k is usual after a double or long vowel, and after l, n and r: pêak, mâke, sínk, boòk, tánk, thánk, àrk, bàrk, sínk, mínk, mílk, tålk, jërk, quïrk, wörk, përk, lürk, Türk, besërk, fôlk (silent l).

Final -ke appears in pôke, tâke, bâke, sâke, lâke, câke, lîke, blôke, pôke, wâke, râke, brâke car = breâk broken, and forms many abbreviations: nûke (abbreviation of nûclear), bîke (of bîcycle), Jâke (of Jâcob).

After c, k merely reinforces the hard c sound and the preceding short vowel: clóck (*clók, *clóc), lúck, súck, néck, báck, thíck, blóck wood (= blóc nations), tíck clock (= tíc spasm, which has no k because it is, like blóc, from French), tíckle, crícket, wícket, tícket, níckel, ríckety, búcket. And so k is added to the ending -ic before suffixes -ing and -ed: politícking, tráfficking, frólicked, pánicked (*frólict, *pánict).

Thus the ck combination does not usually occur after long vowels: one does not see -êeck, -oôck, -orck, -àrck etc., though Åuckland is an exception.

ck is silent in bláckguard (rhymes with lággard) and Côckbürn (= Côburn).

Final k on its own is rare after a single vowel: trék, flák, wók.

c or ck are generally used instead of k when forming clusters, with the exception of wóks etc. and of kl as in boòklet, especially in nkl (nk is pronounced -ngk-): sínk, thínk, tánk, ánkle (cf. úncle), wínkle, héckle, fréckle, ínkling, tínkle, tínkling, chúckle.

Silent k occurs initially before n: knôw acquaint, understand (= nô negative), kneŵ acquainted (= neŵ fresh), knôwn (cf. nòne), knîght Sir (= nîght dark), knít, knáck, knóck, knéll, knóll, knâve cad (= nâve church).

kh has the sound of ch in Scottish lóch in words from Arabic, Urdu &c. - although many people merely pronounce it k: Khàn (*Kàn).

kk is very rare. It occurs in púkka and Dékker (= Décker) and accidentally, with an extended k sound, in boòkkeeper.

Scientific uses

  • k prefix: kilo, 1000 in normal usage, 1024 in computing
  • K: kelvin, scientific unit of temperature
  • K: kaon, a family of mesons
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