kebab

/kəˈbæb/

//kəˈbæb// noun

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

"kebab" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kebab” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,896 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#27,896
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

kebab vs kerb
60% similar

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

Key facts for kebab
PropertyValue
Headwordkebab
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəˈbæb/
Letters5
Frequency rank#27,896
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kebab” 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). kebab lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for kebab is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəˈbæb/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,896 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for kebab, with forms such as "ekbab", "kbeab", and "keabb". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "kerb", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Arabic كَبَاب (kabāb), partly through Urdu, Persian and Turkish kebap. Doublet of cevapi. See the Arabic entry for more. The correct English form is kebab, spelled K-E-B-A-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab.
  2. 2
    A hand-held dish consisting of pieces of meat roasted on an upright skewer mixed with fresh vegetables and sauces and rolled up in a round piece of unleavened bread.
  3. 3
    A shish kebab or any other food on a skewer.
  4. 4
    A restaurant that sells kebabs
  5. 5
    The outward growing portions of a shish kebab structure.
  6. 6
    A Muslim, usually of southern European, Middle Eastern, or North African descent.
  7. 7
    The vulva.
  8. 8
    A menu icon of three vertical dots.

Etymology

From Arabic كَبَاب (kabāb), partly through Urdu, Persian and Turkish kebap. Doublet of cevapi. See the Arabic entry for more.

This word in other languages

kebab(Español)kebab(Français)Kebab(Deutsch)kebab(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ekbab,kbeab,keabb,kebabb,kebba,kebbab,kkebab

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ekbab2kbeab2keabb2kebabb1kebba2kebbab1kkebab1
Edit distance from "kebab"

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 "kebab"?
"kebab" is spelled K-E-B-A-B. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈbæb/.
What does "kebab" mean?
As a noun, "kebab" means: A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab.
What words are commonly confused with "kebab"?
"kebab" is commonly confused with "kerb". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kebab"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kebab" is /kəˈbæb/. 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 "kebab"?
From Arabic كَبَاب (kabāb), partly through Urdu, Persian and Turkish kebap. Doublet of cevapi. See the Arabic entry for more. 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 “kebab”

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

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