kemp
/kɛmp/obsolete
kemp is spelled K-E-M-P: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 2.7 times per million words in written English, the 16,455th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, kemp means “A coarse or bristly hair, whisker; (in the plural) knotty hairs that will not felt” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of kemp is kemps.
How many letters and syllables are in kemp?
| Letters | 4: K-E-M-P |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.7 times per million words; the 16,455th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is kemp?
Kemp appears 2.7 times per million words in written English, the 16,455th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce kemp?
- /kɛmp/
Kemp has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-kemp.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of kemp
- camp rare
- more kemp comparative
- most kemp superlative
- kemps present, singular, he/she/it
- kemping participle, present
- kemped participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does kemp mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
obsoleteA coarse or bristly hair, whisker; (in the plural) knotty hairs that will not felt.
- 2
obsoleteRough hair, wool, or fur.
- 3
ScotlandarchaicA contest in work, etc.
- 4
obsoleteA champion; a knight.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteShaggy; rough.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo strive or contend in any way; strive for victory.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does kemp come from?
From Middle English kempe (“coarse hairs”), from Old English cenep (“moustache; bit (of a bridle, bristling with points)”), from Proto-West Germanic *kanip, from Proto-Germanic *kanipaz (“beard, moustache, whiskers”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénus (“jaw”). Related to chin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).