Kimberley

/ˈkɪmbə(ɹ)li/

//ˈkɪmbə(ɹ)li// name

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

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

The verdict

“Kimberley” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,140 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#26,140
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of several places:

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Kimberley vs Kimberly
89% similar

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

Key facts for Kimberley
PropertyValue
HeadwordKimberley
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈkɪmbə(ɹ)li/
Letters9
Frequency rank#26,140
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Kimberley” 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). Kimberley lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for Kimberley is 9 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɪmbə(ɹ)li/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,140 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for Kimberley, with forms such as "ikmberley", "kibmerley", and "kimbberley". 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, "Kimberly", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: English place name "wood or clearing of Kyneburga (a seventh century female saint)", from Old English cyne- (“royal”) + burh (“fortress”) + lēah (“leigh, clearing”). The correct English form is Kimberley, spelled K-I-M-B-E-R-L-E-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several places:
  2. 2
    Any of several places:
  3. 3
    Any of several places:
  4. 4
    Any of several places:
  5. 5
    Any of several places:
  6. 6
    Any of several places:
  7. 7
    Any of several places:
  8. 8
    A habitational surname from Old English.
  9. 9
    A male given name transferred from the surname or place name (site of a battle in the Boer Wars).
  10. 10
    A female given name transferred from the surname, variant of Kimberly, popular in the 1960s and the 1970s.

Etymology

English place name "wood or clearing of Kyneburga (a seventh century female saint)", from Old English cyne- (“royal”) + burh (“fortress”) + lēah (“leigh, clearing”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ikmberley,kibmerley,kimbberley,kimbelrey,kimberely,kimberleyy,kimberlley,kimberlye,kimberrley,kimbreley,kimebrley,kimmberley,kkimberley,kmiberley

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Kimberley - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ikmberley2kibmerley2kimbberley1kimbelrey2kimberely2kimberleyy1kimberlley1kimberlye2
Edit distance from "Kimberley"

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 "Kimberley"?
"Kimberley" is spelled K-I-M-B-E-R-L-E-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɪmbə(ɹ)li/.
What does "Kimberley" mean?
As a proper noun, "Kimberley" means: Any of several places:
What words are commonly confused with "Kimberley"?
"Kimberley" is commonly confused with "Kimberly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Kimberley"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Kimberley" is /ˈkɪmbə(ɹ)li/. 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 "Kimberley"?
English place name "wood or clearing of Kyneburga (a seventh century female saint)", from Old English cyne- (“royal”) + burh (“fortress”) + lēah (“leigh, clearing”). 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 “Kimberley”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-I-M-B-E-R-L-E-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɪmbə(ɹ)li/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Kimberly” - see the side-by-side comparison. Kimberley vs Kimberly
  • 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