Kerry

/ˈkɛɹi/

//ˈkɛɹi// name

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

"kerry" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Kerry” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,950 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#8,950
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A county of Ireland. County seat: Tralee.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Kerry vs key
40% similar
Kerry vs Kirby
60% similar
Kerry vs ker
40% similar

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

Key facts for Kerry
PropertyValue
HeadwordKerry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈkɛɹi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#8,950
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Kerry” 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). Kerry lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for Kerry is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɛɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,950 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for Kerry, with forms such as "ekrry", "kerryy", and "kery". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "key", "Kirby", "ker", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: * As an English surname, from a personal name derived from Old Norse Kári. * As an Irish surname, from Ó Ciardha (“descendant of Ciardha”), from ciar (“black”). The correct English form is Kerry, spelled K-E-R-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A county of Ireland. County seat: Tralee.
  2. 2
    A village and community in Powys, Wales, originally in Montgomeryshire (OS grid ref SO1489). Welsh spelling: Ceri.
  3. 3
    A rural locality in Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia.
  4. 4
    A surname from Middle English derived from the place name, or from the Middle English given name Kendrick.
  5. 5
    A male given name transferred from the surname or place name.
  6. 6
    A female given name transferred from the surname or place name, originally of Australian usage, also spelled Keri, Kerri and Kerrie.

Etymology

* As an English surname, from a personal name derived from Old Norse Kári. * As an Irish surname, from Ó Ciardha (“descendant of Ciardha”), from ciar (“black”).

This word in other languages

Kerry(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ekrry,kerryy,kery,keryr,kkerry,krery

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ekrry2kerryy1kery1keryr2kkerry1krery2
Edit distance from "Kerry"

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 "Kerry"?
"Kerry" is spelled K-E-R-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɛɹi/.
What does "Kerry" mean?
As a proper noun, "Kerry" means: A county of Ireland. County seat: Tralee.
What words are commonly confused with "Kerry"?
"Kerry" is commonly confused with "key", "Kirby", "ker". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Kerry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Kerry" is /ˈkɛɹi/. 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 "Kerry"?
* As an English surname, from a personal name derived from Old Norse Kári. * As an Irish surname, from Ó Ciardha (“descendant of Ciardha”), from ciar (“black”). 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 “Kerry”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-E-R-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɛɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “key” - see the side-by-side comparison. Kerry vs key
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list