kilometer

/kɪˈlɒmɪtə/

//kɪˈlɒmɪtə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“kilometer” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,717. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,717
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - US spelling of kilometre.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kilometer · kilometer · English

kilometer · rank #22,717 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #22,717
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH keel

Nearest frequency peer: keel (-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 “kilometer”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “kilometer” 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).

kilometer vs kilometre
78% similar

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

Key facts for kilometer
PropertyValue
Headwordkilometer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɪˈlɒmɪtə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#22,717
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “kilometer”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “keel” (#22,716), “Kingsley” (#22,718), “Josef” (#22,715). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “kilometer” is #22,717. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around kilometer (IPA /kɪˈlɒmɪtə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,717 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Dominant gloss: "US spelling of kilometre.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for kilometer, with forms such as "iklometer", "killometer", and "kilmoeter". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "kilometre", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From kilo- + meter. The correct English form is kilometer, spelled K-I-L-O-M-E-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    US spelling of kilometre.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. When classes start in September, the University of Macau’s new campus — still under construction on about a square kilometer, or roughly 250 acres, on Hengqin Island in southern Guangdong Province — will be “handed over” to Macau governance in accordance with a 2009 bill by the National People’s Congress in Beijing.
  2. At around 5:30 a.m., crewmembers of a JCG patrol boat received an SOS from the 106,726-ton freighter Anangel Courage. The patrol vessel and a JCG plane found the freighter on the high seas about 67 kilometers away from Uotsuri Island, one of the Senkaku Islands, which are also claimed by China.

Etymology

From kilo- + meter.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iklometer
  • killometer
  • kilmoeter
  • kiloemter
  • kilomeetr
  • kilometerr
  • kilometter
  • kilommeter
  • kilomteer
  • kiolmeter
  • kkilometer
  • kliometer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iklometer2killometer1kilmoeter2kiloemter2kilomeetr2kilometerr1kilometter1kilommeter1
Edit distance from "kilometer"

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 "kilometer"?
"kilometer" is spelled K-I-L-O-M-E-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /kɪˈlɒmɪtə/.
What does "kilometer" mean?
As a noun, "kilometer" means: US spelling of kilometre.
What words are commonly confused with "kilometer"?
"kilometer" is commonly confused with "kilometre". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kilometer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kilometer" is /kɪˈlɒmɪtə/. 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 "kilometer"?
From kilo- + meter. 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 "kilometer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lettering#22,724intersect#22,708impromptu#22,706hammering#22,698

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Glendale12 variantsGermanic12 variantsfibrosis12 variantsperverse12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list