# karate

> English word · Noun · IPA /kəˈɹɑː.ti/ · frequency rank #13,942

## Definitions
1. An Okinawan martial art involving primarily punching and kicking, but additionally, advanced throws, arm bars, grappling and all means of fighting.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese 空(から)手(て) (karate), from 唐(から)手(て) (karate), an orthographic borrowing from Okinawan 唐手(とーでぃー) (tōdī, “Chinese hand”).

## Easily confused with
- **Kate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/karate-vs-kate)
- **kart** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/karate-vs-kart)
- **kara** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/kara-vs-karate)
- **Karan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/karan-vs-karate)
- **karaoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/karaoke-vs-karate)

## Common misspellings (8)
`akrate`, `kaarte`, `karaet`, `karatte`, `karrate`, `kartae`, `kkarate`, `kraate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/karate