kangaroo

/ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈɹuː/

//ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈɹuː// noun

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

"kangaroo" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kangaroo” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,977. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,977
frequency rank, English
9,255
“K” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A member of the Macropodidae family of large marsupials with strong hind legs for hopping, native to Australia.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

kangaroo vs Kangaroos
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for kangaroo
PropertyValue
Headwordkangaroo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈɹuː/
Letters8
Frequency rank#14,977
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kangaroo” 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). kangaroo lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around kangaroo (IPA /ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈɹuː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,977 among 9,255 “K” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for kangaroo, with forms such as "akngaroo", "kagnaroo", and "kanagroo". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Kangaroos", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Guugu Yimidhirr gangurru (“eastern grey kangaroo”). (There is a popular myth that the word instead means "I don't know": supposedly, when Europeans asked what the kangaroo was, the Aboriginal Australians' answer meant "I don't know" and Europe… The correct English form is kangaroo, spelled K-A-N-G-A-R-O-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A member of the Macropodidae family of large marsupials with strong hind legs for hopping, native to Australia.
  2. 2
    A hooded jacket with a front pocket, usually of fleece material, a kangaroo jacket.

Etymology

Borrowed from Guugu Yimidhirr gangurru (“eastern grey kangaroo”). (There is a popular myth that the word instead means "I don't know": supposedly, when Europeans asked what the kangaroo was, the Aboriginal Australians' answer meant "I don't know" and Europeans mistook this as the word for the animal. This is not true.)

Synonyms

macropodroobunny hughoodiekangaroo jacket

This word in other languages

canguro(Español)kangourou(Français)Känguru(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • akngaroo
  • kagnaroo
  • kanagroo
  • kangaoro
  • kangaro
  • kangarroo
  • kanggaroo
  • kangraoo
  • kanngaroo
  • kkangaroo
  • knagaroo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of kangaroo - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

akngaroo2kagnaroo2kanagroo2kangaoro2kangaro1kangarroo1kanggaroo1kangraoo2
Edit distance from "kangaroo"

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 "kangaroo"?
"kangaroo" is spelled K-A-N-G-A-R-O-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈɹuː/.
What does "kangaroo" mean?
As a noun, "kangaroo" means: A member of the Macropodidae family of large marsupials with strong hind legs for hopping, native to Australia.
What words are commonly confused with "kangaroo"?
"kangaroo" is commonly confused with "Kangaroos". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kangaroo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kangaroo" is /ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈɹuː/. 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 "kangaroo"?
Borrowed from Guugu Yimidhirr gangurru (“eastern grey kangaroo”). (There is a popular myth that the word instead means "I don't know": supposedly, when Europeans asked what the kangaroo was, the Aboriginal Australians' answer meant "I don't know" ... 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.

Using “kangaroo”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-A-N-G-A-R-O-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈɹuː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Kangaroos” - see the side-by-side comparison. kangaroo vs Kangaroos
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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