Kalashnikov

/kəˈlæʃ.nɪˌkɒv/

//kəˈlæʃ.nɪˌkɒv// name

"kalashnikov" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Kalashnikov” is uncommon English (frequency #56,838 among 1,236 “K” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,838
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A particular model of Russian assault rifle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kalashnikov · Kalashnikov · English

Kalashnikov · rank #56,838 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #56,838
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH Kenzo

Nearest frequency peer: Kenzo (+3 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 “Kalashnikov”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Kalashnikov
PropertyValue
HeadwordKalashnikov
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/kəˈlæʃ.nɪˌkɒv/
Letters11
Frequency rank#56,838
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Kalashnikov” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).Kalashnikovfalls 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: “Kenzo” (#56,841), “joule” (#56,834), “ketogenic” (#56,842). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “Kalashnikov” is #56,838. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Kalashnikov is uncommon English at frequency #56,838 among 1,236 “K” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /kəˈlæʃ.nɪˌkɒv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Kalashnikov, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Named after Russian inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov (1919–2013), from Russian Кала́шников (Kalášnikov). The correct English form is Kalashnikov, spelled K-A-L-A-S-H-N-I-K-O-V.

Definition

  1. 1
    A particular model of Russian assault rifle.
  2. 2
    A transliteration of the Russian surname Кала́шников (Kalášnikov).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A Cameroonian soldier lies in a trench, the tip of his Kalashnikov rifle pointing toward the Nigerian town of Gambaru, which has been taken over by Boko Haram terrorists.
  2. So, we are prepared to bear arms and yesterday we were given Kalashnikovs so we will be able to resist if Russian forces will come to Kyiv.

Etymology

Named after Russian inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov (1919–2013), from Russian Кала́шников (Kalášnikov).

This word in other languages

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 "Kalashnikov"?
"Kalashnikov" is spelled K-A-L-A-S-H-N-I-K-O-V. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈlæʃ.nɪˌkɒv/.
What does "Kalashnikov" mean?
As a proper noun, "Kalashnikov" means: A particular model of Russian assault rifle.
How do you pronounce "Kalashnikov"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Kalashnikov" is /kəˈlæʃ.nɪˌkɒv/. 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 "Kalashnikov"?
Named after Russian inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov (1919–2013), from Russian Кала́шников (Kalášnikov). 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 "Kalashnikov", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list