# keel

> English word · Noun · IPA /kiːl/ · frequency rank #22,716

## Definitions
1. A large beam along the underside of a ship’s hull from bow to stern.
2. A rigid, flat piece of material anchored to the lowest part of the hull of a ship to give it greater control and stability.
3. In a dirigible, a construction similar in form and use to a ship's keel; in an aeroplane, a fin or fixed surface employed to increase stability and to hold the machine to its course.
4. The rigid bottom part of something else, especially an iceberg.
5. A type of flat-bottomed boat.
6. The periphery of a whorl extended to form a more or less flattened plate; a prominent spiral ridge.
7. The two lowest petals of the corolla of a papilionaceous flower, united and enclosing the stamens and pistil; a carina.

## Etymology
From Middle English kele, from Old Norse kjǫlr, itself from Proto-Germanic *keluz, of uncertain origin. Displaced Old English ċēol from a related root. Distantly related to kile.

## Easily confused with
- **KL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kl)
- **key** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-key)
- **ken** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-ken)
- **Kev** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kev)
- **kei** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kei)
- **keg** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-keg)
- **kew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kew)
- **ker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-ker)
- **keep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-keep)
- **knew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-knew)
- **kill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kill)
- **kept** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kept)
- **keys** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-keys)
- **knee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-knee)
- **Kent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kent)
- **keen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-keen)
- **Kerr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kerr)
- **Kiev** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kiev)
- **kemp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kemp)
- **kool** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/keel-vs-kool)

## Common misspellings (5)
`ekel`, `keell`, `kel`, `kele`, `kkeel`

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