# key vs kun

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### key
*noun · IPA /kiː/ · frequency rank #788*
An object designed to open and close a lock.

### kun
*noun · frequency rank #20,404*
In the Japanese language, the pronunciation, or reading, of a kanji character as a native Japanese word that means what the character represents, contrasted with on.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/key-vs-kun