Khartoum

/kɑː(ɹ)ˈtuːm/

//kɑː(ɹ)ˈtuːm// name

"khartoum" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Khartoum” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,335 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#29,335
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The capital city of Sudan.

Key facts for Khartoum
PropertyValue
HeadwordKhartoum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/kɑː(ɹ)ˈtuːm/
Letters8
Frequency rank#29,335
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Khartoum” 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). Khartoum 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 Khartoum is 8 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɑː(ɹ)ˈtuːm/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,335 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "The capital city of Sudan.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for Khartoum, with forms such as "hkartoum", "kahrtoum", and "kharotum". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Possibly from Arabic خُرْطُوم (ḵurṭūm, “elephant trunk”), but more likely from Arabic قُرْطُم (qurṭum, “safflower”). The correct English form is Khartoum, spelled K-H-A-R-T-O-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The capital city of Sudan.

Etymology

Possibly from Arabic خُرْطُوم (ḵurṭūm, “elephant trunk”), but more likely from Arabic قُرْطُم (qurṭum, “safflower”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hkartoum,kahrtoum,kharotum,kharrtoum,khartomu,khartoumm,kharttoum,khartuom,khatroum,khhartoum,khratoum,kkhartoum

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Khartoum - 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.

hkartoum2kahrtoum2kharotum2kharrtoum1khartomu2khartoumm1kharttoum1khartuom2
Edit distance from "Khartoum"

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 "Khartoum"?
"Khartoum" is spelled K-H-A-R-T-O-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /kɑː(ɹ)ˈtuːm/.
What does "Khartoum" mean?
As a proper noun, "Khartoum" means: The capital city of Sudan.
What are common misspellings of "Khartoum"?
Common misspellings include "hkartoum", "kahrtoum", "kharotum", "kharrtoum", "khartomu". The correct spelling is "Khartoum".
How do you pronounce "Khartoum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Khartoum" is /kɑː(ɹ)ˈtuːm/. 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 "Khartoum"?
Possibly from Arabic خُرْطُوم (ḵurṭūm, “elephant trunk”), but more likely from Arabic قُرْطُم (qurṭum, “safflower”). 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 “Khartoum”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-H-A-R-T-O-U-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kɑː(ɹ)ˈtuːm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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