Kherson

/kɜː(ɹ)ˈsɔːn/

//kɜː(ɹ)ˈsɔːn// name

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

The verdict

“Kherson” is uncommon English (frequency #84,426 among 9,255 “K” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#84,426
frequency rank, English
9,255
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A port city, a municipal and regional administrative centre of Kherson raion, Kherson oblast, Ukraine, located on the Dnieper/Dnipro.

Key facts for Kherson
PropertyValue
HeadwordKherson
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/kɜː(ɹ)ˈsɔːn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#84,426
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Kherson” 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). Kherson lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

Kherson is uncommon English at frequency #84,426 among 9,255 “K” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /kɜː(ɹ)ˈsɔːn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Kherson doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ukrainian Херсо́н (Xersón), named in memory of the Ancient Greek colony of Χερσόνησος (Khersónēsos). Compare Russian Херсоне́с (Xersonɛ́s, “the city of Chersonesos”), Old East Slavic Корсу́нь (Korsúnĭ, “Chersonesos”), Russian Херсо́н (Xersón, “Kherson”). The correct English form is Kherson, spelled K-H-E-R-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A port city, a municipal and regional administrative centre of Kherson raion, Kherson oblast, Ukraine, located on the Dnieper/Dnipro.
  2. 2
    A raion of Kherson, Ukraine. Seat: Kherson. It is also illicitly claimed by Russia.
  3. 3
    An oblast in southern Ukraine. Seat: Kherson.

Etymology

From Ukrainian Херсо́н (Xersón), named in memory of the Ancient Greek colony of Χερσόνησος (Khersónēsos). Compare Russian Херсоне́с (Xersonɛ́s, “the city of Chersonesos”), Old East Slavic Корсу́нь (Korsúnĭ, “Chersonesos”), Russian Херсо́н (Xersón, “Kherson”).

This word in other languages

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 "Kherson"?
"Kherson" is spelled K-H-E-R-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kɜː(ɹ)ˈsɔːn/.
What does "Kherson" mean?
As a proper noun, "Kherson" means: A port city, a municipal and regional administrative centre of Kherson raion, Kherson oblast, Ukraine, located on the Dnieper/Dnipro.
How do you pronounce "Kherson"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Kherson" is /kɜː(ɹ)ˈsɔːn/. 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 "Kherson"?
From Ukrainian Херсо́н (Xersón), named in memory of the Ancient Greek colony of Χερσόνησος (Khersónēsos). Compare Russian Херсоне́с (Xersonɛ́s, “the city of Chersonesos”), Old East Slavic Корсу́нь (Korsúnĭ, “Chersonesos”), Russian Херсо́н (Xersón,... 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 “Kherson”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-H-E-R-S-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kɜː(ɹ)ˈsɔːn/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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