karaoke

/ˈkæ.ɹiˌəʊ.ki/

//ˈkæ.ɹiˌəʊ.ki// noun

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

"karaoke" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“karaoke” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,507. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,507
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A form of entertainment popular in clubs, at parties, etc, in which individual members of the public sing along to pre-recorded instrumental versions of popular songs, the lyrics of which are displ...

Corpus desk

Index EN-karaoke · karaoke · English

karaoke · rank #16,507 · 9 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #16,507
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH juniors

Nearest frequency peer: juniors (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “karaoke”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “karaoke” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

karaoke vs karate
71% similar

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

Key facts for karaoke
PropertyValue
Headwordkaraoke
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæ.ɹiˌəʊ.ki/
Letters7
Frequency rank#16,507
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “karaoke”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).karaokelands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “juniors” (#16,506), “kemp” (#16,508), “Israelis” (#16,505). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “karaoke” is #16,507. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around karaoke (IPA /ˈkæ.ɹiˌəʊ.ki/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,507 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for karaoke, with forms such as "akraoke", "kaaroke", and "karakoe". 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, "karate", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Japanese 空 Ancient Greek ὀρχέομαι (orkhéomai) Ancient Greek -τρᾰ (-tră) Ancient Greek ὀρχήστρα (orkhḗstra)bor. Latin orchēstrabor. English orchestrabor. Japanese オーケストラ Japanese カラオケbor. English karaoke Borrowed from Japanese カラオケ (karaoke), … The correct English form is karaoke, spelled K-A-R-A-O-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A form of entertainment popular in clubs, at parties, etc, in which individual members of the public sing along to pre-recorded instrumental versions of popular songs, the lyrics of which are displayed for the singer on a screen in time with the music.
  2. 2
    A karaoke session.
  3. 3
    A karaoke parlour.
  4. 4
    An exercise in which the feet are alternately placed in front of each other while walking sideways to stretch various parts of the lower body and core.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The karaoke has been well received by those who frequent the oriental cabaret scene and adopt its particular social behaviors such as conversation, companionship, being seen, and showing off.
  2. American Idol will always have a place in my heart. It's where I met Clay. And what could be more exciting than televised karaoke?

Etymology

Etymology tree Japanese 空 Ancient Greek ὀρχέομαι (orkhéomai) Ancient Greek -τρᾰ (-tră) Ancient Greek ὀρχήστρα (orkhḗstra)bor. Latin orchēstrabor. English orchestrabor. Japanese オーケストラ Japanese カラオケbor. English karaoke Borrowed from Japanese カラオケ (karaoke), from 空(から) (kara, “empty”) + オケ (oke, “orchestra”), a clipping of オーケストラ (ōkesutora), from English orchestra.

This word in other languages

karaoke(Español)karaoké(Français)Karaoke(Deutsch)karaokê(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • akraoke
  • kaaroke
  • karakoe
  • karaoek
  • karaokke
  • karoake
  • karraoke
  • kkaraoke
  • kraaoke

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of karaoke - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

akraoke2kaaroke2karakoe2karaoek2karaokke1karoake2karraoke1kkaraoke1
Edit distance from "karaoke"

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 "karaoke"?
"karaoke" is spelled K-A-R-A-O-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæ.ɹiˌəʊ.ki/.
What does "karaoke" mean?
As a noun, "karaoke" means: A form of entertainment popular in clubs, at parties, etc, in which individual members of the public sing along to pre-recorded instrumental versions of popular songs, the lyrics of which are displ...
What words are commonly confused with "karaoke"?
"karaoke" is commonly confused with "karate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "karaoke"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "karaoke" is /ˈkæ.ɹiˌəʊ.ki/. 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 "karaoke"?
Etymology tree Japanese 空 Ancient Greek ὀρχέομαι (orkhéomai) Ancient Greek -τρᾰ (-tră) Ancient Greek ὀρχήστρα (orkhḗstra)bor. Latin orchēstrabor. English orchestrabor. Japanese オーケストラ Japanese カラオケbor. English karaoke Borrowed from Japanese カラオケ (... 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 "karaoke", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

juniors#16,506illicit#16,498Lucifer#16,519lunatic#16,521

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

hostel9 variantsHobart9 variantsOswald9 variantsDustin9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list