Kentucky

Name: Kentucky, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/kənˈtʌki/

//kənˈtʌki// name

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“Kentucky” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,313. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,313
frequency rank, English: 9,255
“K” headwords: 13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A state of the United States. Capital: Frankfort. Largest city: Louisville. Formally known as the Commonwealth of Kentucky, one of four such states known as Commonwealths.

Key facts for Kentucky
Property	Value
Headword	Kentucky
Language	English
Part of speech	Proper noun
IPA	/kənˈtʌki/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#4,313
Misspellings tracked	13
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Kentucky” 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). Kentucky lands here:

#4,313

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around Kentucky (IPA /kənˈtʌki/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #4,313 among 9,255 “K” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for Kentucky, with forms such as "ekntucky", "kenntucky", and "kentcuky". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Uncertain; possibly from an Iroquoian word meaning "prairie"; compare Mohawk kenhtà:ke (“the meadow”), Seneca gëdá'geh (“at the field”). The correct English form is Kentucky, spelled K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y.

Definition

1
A state of the United States. Capital: Frankfort. Largest city: Louisville. Formally known as the Commonwealth of Kentucky, one of four such states known as Commonwealths.
2
A village in Uralla Shire and the Tamworth council area, on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia.
3
Ellipsis of University of Kentucky.
4
A tributary of the Ohio River in Kentucky, United States.
5
An unincorporated community in Munising Township, Michigan.

Etymology

Uncertain; possibly from an Iroquoian word meaning "prairie"; compare Mohawk kenhtà:ke (“the meadow”), Seneca gëdá'geh (“at the field”).

This word in other languages

Kentucky(Español)Kentucky(Français)Kentucky(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ekntucky,kenntucky,kentcuky,kenttucky,kentuccky,kentuckky,kentuckyy,kentucyk,kentukcy,kenutcky,ketnucky,kkentucky,knetucky

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "Kentucky"

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 "Kentucky"?

"Kentucky" is spelled K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈtʌki/.

What does "Kentucky" mean?

As a proper noun, "Kentucky" means: A state of the United States. Capital: Frankfort. Largest city: Louisville. Formally known as the Commonwealth of Kentucky, one of four such states known as Commonwealths.

What are common misspellings of "Kentucky"?

Common misspellings include "ekntucky", "kenntucky", "kentcuky", "kenttucky", "kentuccky". The correct spelling is "Kentucky".

How do you pronounce "Kentucky"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Kentucky" is /kənˈtʌki/. 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 "Kentucky"?

Uncertain; possibly from an Iroquoian word meaning "prairie"; compare Mohawk kenhtà:ke (“the meadow”), Seneca gëdá'geh (“at the field”). 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 “Kentucky”

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

The one correct English spelling is K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /kənˈtʌki/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.