kaffir

/ˈkæfə/

//ˈkæfə// noun

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

"kaffir" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kaffir” is uncommon English (frequency #66,012 among 1,236 “K” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,012
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In Islamic contexts, a non-Muslim.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kaffir · kaffir · English

kaffir · rank #66,012 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,012
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH Juul

Nearest frequency peer: Juul (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “kaffir”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “kaffir” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for kaffir
PropertyValue
Headwordkaffir
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæfə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#66,012
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “kaffir” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).kaffirfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Juul” (#66,010), “Jou” (#66,009), “Joanie” (#66,006). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “kaffir” is #66,012. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

kaffir is uncommon English at frequency #66,012 among 1,236 “K” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkæfə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for kaffir in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Ultimately from Arabic كَفَّار (kaffār, “infidel”) or كَافِر (kāfir, “unbeliever”), both from كَفَرَ (kafara, “to cover, to hide”); in some (especially early) uses, via Spanish cafre, Dutch kaffer or other European languages. Doublet of kafir. The correct English form is kaffir, spelled K-A-F-F-I-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    In Islamic contexts, a non-Muslim.
  2. 2
    A member of the Nguni people of southern Africa, especially a Xhosa.
  3. 3
    A black person.
  4. 4
    A language spoken by the Nguni peoples of southern Africa, especially Xhosa.
  5. 5
    South African mining shares
  6. 6
    Ellipsis of kaffir corn.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how kaffir appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He […] put me in imminent danger of my life, by telling the natives that I was a Caffer, and not a Mussulman.
  2. … the Hambonaas, a nation quite different from the Kaffers, having a yellowish complexion […].

Etymology

Ultimately from Arabic كَفَّار (kaffār, “infidel”) or كَافِر (kāfir, “unbeliever”), both from كَفَرَ (kafara, “to cover, to hide”); in some (especially early) uses, via Spanish cafre, Dutch kaffer or other European languages. Doublet of kafir.

This word in other languages

cafre(Français)

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 "kaffir"?
"kaffir" is spelled K-A-F-F-I-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæfə/.
What does "kaffir" mean?
As a noun, "kaffir" means: In Islamic contexts, a non-Muslim.
How do you pronounce "kaffir"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kaffir" is /ˈkæfə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "kaffir"?
Ultimately from Arabic كَفَّار (kaffār, “infidel”) or كَافِر (kāfir, “unbeliever”), both from كَفَرَ (kafara, “to cover, to hide”); in some (especially early) uses, via Spanish cafre, Dutch kaffer or other European languages. Doublet of kafir. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "kaffir", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Joanie#66,006labrum#66,026Latinx#66,035libero#66,043

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list