kerb

/kɝb/

//kɝb// noun

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

"kerb" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kerb” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,571. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,571
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Alternative spelling of curb.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kerb · kerb · English

kerb · rank #46,571 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #46,571
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH kenner

Nearest frequency peer: kenner (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “kerb”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “kerb” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

kerb vs key
50% similar
kerb vs KGB
0% similar
kerb vs Kev
25% similar

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

Key facts for kerb
PropertyValue
Headwordkerb
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɝb/
Letters4
Frequency rank#46,571
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “kerb”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).kerblands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “kenner” (#46,569), “Keiko” (#46,567), “Knott” (#46,575). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “kerb” is #46,571. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around kerb (IPA /kɝb/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #46,571 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Alternative spelling of curb.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for kerb, with forms such as "ekrb", "kebr", and "kerbb". 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 also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "key", "KGB", "Kev", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From curb (“raised border or frame”) [from mid-17th c.]. Doublet of curve. The correct English form is kerb, spelled K-E-R-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    Alternative spelling of curb.

Etymology

From curb (“raised border or frame”) [from mid-17th c.]. Doublet of curve.

This word in other languages

bordillo(Español)bordure(Français)Bordstein(Deutsch)guia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ekrb
  • kebr
  • kerbb
  • kerrb
  • kkerb
  • kreb

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ekrb2kebr2kerbb1kerrb1kkerb1kreb2
Edit distance from "kerb"

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 "kerb"?
"kerb" is spelled K-E-R-B. The IPA pronunciation is /kɝb/.
What does "kerb" mean?
As a noun, "kerb" means: Alternative spelling of curb.
What words are commonly confused with "kerb"?
"kerb" is commonly confused with "key", "KGB", "Kev". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kerb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kerb" is /kɝb/. 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 "kerb"?
From curb (“raised border or frame”) [from mid-17th c.]. Doublet of curve. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "kerb", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Kwok#46,578inga#46,547lyre#46,595maas#46,597

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

kenner6 variantsKeiko6 variantsHideo6 variantsGwynn6 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list