kick off

verb

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

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

The verdict

“kick off” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make the first kick in a game or part of a game.

Key facts for kick off
PropertyValue
Headwordkick off
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kick off” sits in English frequency

kick off falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for kick off is 8 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for kick off, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is kick off, spelled K-I-C-K- -O-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make the first kick in a game or part of a game.
  2. 2
    To start; to launch; to set in motion.
  3. 3
    To dismiss; to expel; to remove from a position.
  4. 4
    To die or quit permanently.
  5. 5
    To shut down or turn off suddenly.
  6. 6
    To suddenly become more active.
  7. 7
    To force the weaning of a bovine cow's calf by restricting the calf's access to its mother's udders, whether by literally kicking it away or another method.
  8. 8
    To be overcome with anger, to start an argument or a fight; to behave aggressively.
  9. 9
    To have a fight or argument start; to fight or argue.

This word in other languages

craquer(Français)anstoßen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "kick off"?
"kick off" is spelled K-I-C-K- -O-F-F.
What does "kick off" mean?
As a verb, "kick off" means: To make the first kick in a game or part of a game.
What language does "kick off" come from?
"kick off" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “kick off”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-I-C-K- -O-F-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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