calk
/kælk/noun, verb
calk is spelled C-A-L-K: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 24 million words in written English, the 148,541st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, calk means “A pointed projection on a horseshoe to prevent its slipping” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of calk is calks.
How many letters and syllables are in calk?
| Letters | 4: C-A-L-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 24 million words; the 148,541st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is calk?
Calk appears about once in every 24 million words in written English, the 148,541st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce calk?
- /kælk/
Calk has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-calk.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with calk
Sounds like: calc, calque (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with calk?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as calk.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: lack.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of calk
- calks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- calking participle, present
- calked participle, past
- calque
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does calk mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A pointed projection on a horseshoe to prevent its slipping.
- 2
A spike on the sole of a boot to prevent slipping, particularly used in logging.
Near-synonym: cleat
- 3
Alternative form of caulk (“a short sleep, nap”).
verb
- 1
datedAlternative spelling of caulk.
- 2
To make an indentation in the edge of a metal plate, as along a seam in a steam boiler or an iron ship, to force the edge of the upper plate hard against the lower and so fill the crevice.
- 3
Alternative form of caulk (“to take a short sleep, nap”).
- 4
To copy (a drawing) by rubbing the back of it with red or black chalk, and then passing a blunt stylus or needle over the lines, so as to leave a tracing on the paper or other thing against which it is laid or held.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does calk come from?
From French calque, ultimately derived from Latin calcō (“to trample”). Doublet of calque.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).