kick

/kɪk/

//kɪk// verb

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

"kick" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kick” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,950. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,950
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kick · kick · English

kick · rank #1,950 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,950
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH johnson

Nearest frequency peer: johnson (-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 “kick”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “kick” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

kick vs kk
50% similar
kick vs kid
50% similar
kick vs Kim
25% similar

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

Key facts for kick
PropertyValue
Headwordkick
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kɪk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#1,950
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “kick”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).kicklands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “johnson” (#1,949), “links” (#1,951), “introduced” (#1,948). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “kick” is #1,950. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around kick (IPA /kɪk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,950 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for kick, with forms such as "ikck", "kcik", and "kicck". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "kk", "kid", "Kim", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English kyken (“to strike out with the foot”), from Old Norse kikna (“to sink at the knees”) and keikja (“to bend backwards”) (compare Old Norse keikr (“bent backwards, the belly jutting forward”)), from Proto-Germanic *kaikaz (“bent backwards”)… The correct English form is kick, spelled K-I-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg.
  2. 2
    To make a sharp jerking movement of the leg, as to strike something.
  3. 3
    To direct to a particular place by a blow with the foot or leg.
  4. 4
    To eject summarily.
  5. 5
    To forcibly remove a participant from an online activity.
  6. 6
    To overcome (a bothersome or difficult issue or obstacle); to free oneself of (a problem).
  7. 7
    To move or push suddenly and violently.
  8. 8
    To recoil; to push by recoiling.
  9. 9
    To attack (a piece) in order to force it to move.
  10. 10
    To accelerate quickly with a few pedal strokes in an effort to break away from other riders.
  11. 11
    To show opposition or resistance.
  12. 12
    To work a press by impact of the foot on a treadle.
  13. 13
    To reset (a watchdog timer).
  14. 14
    To reproach oneself for making a mistake or missing an opportunity.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Did you kick your brother?
  2. 1895, George MacDonald, Lilith, Chapter XII: Friends and Foes, I was cuffed by the women and kicked by the men because I would not swallow it.

Etymology

From Middle English kyken (“to strike out with the foot”), from Old Norse kikna (“to sink at the knees”) and keikja (“to bend backwards”) (compare Old Norse keikr (“bent backwards, the belly jutting forward”)), from Proto-Germanic *kaikaz (“bent backwards”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *kī-, *kij- (“to split, dodge, swerve sidewards”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵeyH- (“to sprout, shoot”). Compare also Dutch kijken (“to look”), Middle Low German kīken (“to look, watch”). See keek.

This word in other languages

patear(Español)botter(Français)treten(Deutsch)chutar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ikck
  • kcik
  • kicck
  • kickk
  • kikc
  • kkick

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ikck2kcik2kicck1kickk1kikc2kkick1
Edit distance from "kick"

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 "kick"?
"kick" is spelled K-I-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /kɪk/.
What does "kick" mean?
As a verb, "kick" means: To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg.
What words are commonly confused with "kick"?
"kick" is commonly confused with "kk", "kid", "Kim". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kick"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kick" is /kɪk/. 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 "kick"?
From Middle English kyken (“to strike out with the foot”), from Old Norse kikna (“to sink at the knees”) and keikja (“to bend backwards”) (compare Old Norse keikr (“bent backwards, the belly jutting forward”)), from Proto-Germanic *kaikaz (“bent b... 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 "kick", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

mail#1,952pair#1,955fuel#1,942flat#1,941

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

harry6 variantstaste6 variantsshoot6 variantsduty6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list