AFK

/ˌeɪ ɛf ˈkeɪ/

//ˌeɪ ɛf ˈkeɪ// prep_phrase

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"afk" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“AFK” is an uncommon English word, ranked #64,870 in English word frequency and used as a prep_phrase.

#64,870
frequency rank, English
3
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Initialism of away from keyboard, i.e. away from one's computer; idle.

Key facts for AFK
PropertyValue
HeadwordAFK
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrep_phrase
IPA/ˌeɪ ɛf ˈkeɪ/
Letters3
Frequency rank#64,870
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “AFK” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). AFK lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for AFK is 3 letters long, classified as a prep_phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌeɪ ɛf ˈkeɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #64,870 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Initialism of away from keyboard, i.e. away from one's computer; idle.".

Zero misspellings are on record for AFK in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct English form is AFK, spelled A-F-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Initialism of away from keyboard, i.e. away from one's computer; idle.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "AFK"?
"AFK" is spelled A-F-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌeɪ ɛf ˈkeɪ/.
What does "AFK" mean?
As a prep_phrase, "AFK" means: Initialism of away from keyboard, i.e. away from one's computer; idle.
How do you pronounce "AFK"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "AFK" is /ˌeɪ ɛf ˈkeɪ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "AFK" come from?
"AFK" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “AFK”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-F-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌeɪ ɛf ˈkeɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list