kerplunk
ker·plunk/kə(ɹ)ˈplʌŋk/noun, interjection, verb
kerplunk is spelled K-E-R-P-L-U-N-K: 8 letters and 2 syllables (ker·plunk). It appears about once in every 35 million words in written English, the 182,517th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, kerplunk means “A sound of someone or something falling and landing heavily” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of kerplunk is kerplunks.
How many letters and syllables are in kerplunk?
| Letters | 8: K-E-R-P-L-U-N-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ker·plunk |
| In writing | about once in every 35 million words; the 182,517th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is kerplunk?
Kerplunk appears about once in every 35 million words in written English, the 182,517th 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 kerplunk?
- UK /kəˈplʌŋk/
- US /kə(ɹ)ˈplʌŋk/
Kerplunk has 2 syllables, split ker·plunk in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-kerplunk.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with kerplunk?
8 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as kerplunk from its last stressed vowel (/ʌŋk/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of kerplunk
- kerplunks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- kerplunking participle, present
- kerplunked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does kerplunk mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
informalA sound of someone or something falling and landing heavily.
- 2
USdatedslangA disappointment which comes as a surprise.
interjection
- 1
Used to indicate a thudding sound.
verb
- 1
informalTo make the sound of falling and landing heavily; to thud.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Kerplunk in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense used to indicate a thudding sound:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does kerplunk come from?
From ker- (prefix forming onomatopoeias imitating the effect or sound of a heavy object falling) + plunk (“dull thud of something landing on a surface”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).