kick start

noun

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

"kick-start" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kick start” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A metal bar on a motorcycle used to start its engine.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kick-start · kick start · English

kick start · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "K" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for kick start
PropertyValue
Headwordkick start
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kick start” sits in English frequency

kick start 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.

Rare enough to double-check

kick start is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for kick start, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From kick + start. Compare push-start. The correct English form is kick start, spelled K-I-C-K- -S-T-A-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A metal bar on a motorcycle used to start its engine.
  2. 2
    An act of starting a motorcycle by quickly depressing the kick start with one's foot.
  3. 3
    A fast or strong start; help with starting or beginning well.
  4. 4
    An impetus that starts or restarts some process.

Etymology

From kick + start. Compare push-start.

This word in other languages

coup de fouet(Français)Kickstarter(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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "kick start"?
"kick start" is spelled K-I-C-K- -S-T-A-R-T.
What does "kick start" mean?
As a noun, "kick start" means: A metal bar on a motorcycle used to start its engine.
What is the origin of the word "kick start"?
From kick + start. Compare push-start. 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.
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