ketchup

/ˈkɛt͡ʃ.əp/

//ˈkɛt͡ʃ.əp// noun

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

"ketchup" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ketchup” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,850. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,850
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Ellipsis of tomato ketchup (“a tomato-vinegar-based sauce, sometimes containing spices, onion or garlic, and (especially in the US) sweeteners”).

Corpus desk

Index EN-ketchup · ketchup · English

ketchup · rank #15,850 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,850
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH Kendrick

Nearest frequency peer: Kendrick (-1 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 “ketchup”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ketchup” 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
Key facts for ketchup
PropertyValue
Headwordketchup
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɛt͡ʃ.əp/
Letters7
Frequency rank#15,850
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ketchup”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).ketchuplands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Kendrick” (#15,849), “leukemia” (#15,851), “Keepers” (#15,848). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “ketchup” is #15,850. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around ketchup (IPA /ˈkɛt͡ʃ.əp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,850 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for ketchup, with forms such as "ektchup", "kecthup", and "ketcchup". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Uncertain, but probably ultimately from Hokkien 膎汁 (kê-chiap, “fish sauce”) via Malay kicap, though the precise path is unclear – there are related words in various Chinese languages. Cognate to Malay kicap and Indonesian kecap, ketjap (“soy sauce”). Variou… The correct English form is ketchup, spelled K-E-T-C-H-U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ellipsis of tomato ketchup (“a tomato-vinegar-based sauce, sometimes containing spices, onion or garlic, and (especially in the US) sweeteners”).
  2. 2
    Such a sauce more generally (not necessarily based on tomatoes, but with mushrooms, fish, etc.). This is the older meaning.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how ketchup appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. tomato ketchup
  2. This diner serves ketchup in red bottles, and mustard in yellow ones.

Etymology

Uncertain, but probably ultimately from Hokkien 膎汁 (kê-chiap, “fish sauce”) via Malay kicap, though the precise path is unclear – there are related words in various Chinese languages. Cognate to Malay kicap and Indonesian kecap, ketjap (“soy sauce”). Various other theories exist – see Ketchup: Etymology for extended discussion. First appeared in English in the late 17th century in reference to a Southeast Asian sauce encountered by British traders and sailors. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that it was commonly used in the 18th century to refer to a variety of similar sauces with varying ingredients—"anchovies, mushrooms, walnuts, and oysters being particularly popular"—but by the late 19th century the current tomato ketchup became the most popular form. Catsup (earlier catchup) is an alternative Anglicization, still in use in the U.S.

This word in other languages

kétchup(Español)ketchup(Français)Ketchup(Deutsch)ketchup(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ektchup
  • kecthup
  • ketcchup
  • ketchhup
  • ketchpu
  • ketchupp
  • ketcuhp
  • kethcup
  • kettchup
  • kketchup
  • ktechup

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ketchup - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ektchup2kecthup2ketcchup1ketchhup1ketchpu2ketchupp1ketcuhp2kethcup2
Edit distance from "ketchup"

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 "ketchup"?
"ketchup" is spelled K-E-T-C-H-U-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɛt͡ʃ.əp/.
What does "ketchup" mean?
As a noun, "ketchup" means: Ellipsis of tomato ketchup (“a tomato-vinegar-based sauce, sometimes containing spices, onion or garlic, and (especially in the US) sweeteners”).
What are common misspellings of "ketchup"?
Common misspellings include "ektchup", "kecthup", "ketcchup", "ketchhup", "ketchpu". The correct spelling is "ketchup".
How do you pronounce "ketchup"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ketchup" is /ˈkɛt͡ʃ.əp/. 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 "ketchup"?
Uncertain, but probably ultimately from Hokkien 膎汁 (kê-chiap, “fish sauce”) via Malay kicap, though the precise path is unclear – there are related words in various Chinese languages. Cognate to Malay kicap and Indonesian kecap, ketjap (“soy sauce... 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 "ketchup", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Keepers#15,848lineage#15,854looting#15,856immoral#15,836

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

initials11 variantsHarding11 variantsGrayson11 variantsgarland11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list