keyhole
/ˈkiˌhoʊl/
"keyhole" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“keyhole” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,800 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #35,800
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The hole in a lock where the key is inserted and turns.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | keyhole |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkiˌhoʊl/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #35,800 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “keyhole” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for keyhole is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkiˌhoʊl/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,800 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for keyhole, with forms such as "ekyhole", "kehyole", and "keyhhole". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "keynote", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From key + hole. The correct English form is keyhole, spelled K-E-Y-H-O-L-E.
Definition
- 1The hole in a lock where the key is inserted and turns.
- 2Any small opening resembling the hole for a key in shape or function; especially, one that gives a vista of, or access to, a space beyond.
- 3Any small opening resembling the hole for a key in shape or function; especially, one that gives a vista of, or access to, a space beyond.
- 4A circle cut out of a garment as a decorative effect, typically at the front or back neckline of a dress.
- 5A hole or excavation in beams intended to be joined together, to receive the key that fastens them.
- 6A mortise for a key or cotter.
- 7A transient column of vapor or plasma formed when using high energy beams, such as lasers, for welding or cutting.
- 8A welding method in which a hole forms in the surface immediately ahead of the puddle in the direction of welding. The hole is filled as the weld progresses.
- 9The free-throw lane together with the circle surrounding the free-throw line; key.
- 10A gravitational keyhole.
Etymology
From key + hole.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ekyhole,kehyole,keyhhole,keyhloe,keyhoel,keyholle,keyohle,keyyhole,kkeyhole,kyehole
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of keyhole - 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.
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
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Using “keyhole”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is K-E-Y-H-O-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkiˌhoʊl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “keynote” - see the side-by-side comparison. keyhole vs keynote
- 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.