kiosk

/ˈkiːˌɒsk/

//ˈkiːˌɒsk// noun

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

"kiosk" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kiosk” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,969. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,969
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small enclosed structure, often freestanding, open on one side or with a window, used as a booth to sell newspapers, cigarettes, etc.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kiosk · kiosk · English

kiosk · rank #28,969 · 7 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,969
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH kingpin

Nearest frequency peer: kingpin (-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 “kiosk”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “kiosk” 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).

kiosk vs Kos
40% similar
kiosk vs Kok
40% similar
kiosk vs kiss
60% similar

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

Key facts for kiosk
PropertyValue
Headwordkiosk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkiːˌɒsk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#28,969
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “kiosk”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).kiosklands 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 “kingpin” (#28,968), “Klopp” (#28,970), “Lawton” (#28,972). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “kiosk” is #28,969. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around kiosk (IPA /ˈkiːˌɒsk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,969 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for kiosk, with forms such as "ikosk", "kioks", and "kioskk". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "Kos", "Kok", "kiss", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Earlier kiosque, from French kiosque, from Italian chiosco, from Ottoman Turkish كوشك (köşk), from Classical Persian کوشْک (kōšk, “palace, portico”), from Middle Persian kwšk' (kōšk). The correct English form is kiosk, spelled K-I-O-S-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small enclosed structure, often freestanding, open on one side or with a window, used as a booth to sell newspapers, cigarettes, etc.
  2. 2
    A similar but unattended stand for the automatic dispensing of tickets, etc; an e-kiosk.
  3. 3
    A public telephone booth.
  4. 4
    A Turkish garden pavilion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I remember that one time I went to the kiosk next door to buy condoms, it was raining, she appeared.
  2. Not only has the infamous upgrade gone by the wayside, but cashiers at fast-food restaurants are becoming increasingly uncommon. McDonald's started rolling out ordering kiosks at its US locations in 2015, and the chain hasn't looked back since: by 2020, most of its 14,000 locations will have kiosks installed.

Etymology

Earlier kiosque, from French kiosque, from Italian chiosco, from Ottoman Turkish كوشك (köşk), from Classical Persian کوشْک (kōšk, “palace, portico”), from Middle Persian kwšk' (kōšk).

This word in other languages

quiosco(Español)kiosque(Français)Kiosk(Deutsch)quiosque(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ikosk
  • kioks
  • kioskk
  • kiossk
  • kisok
  • kkiosk
  • koisk

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of kiosk - 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.

ikosk2kioks2kioskk1kiossk1kisok2kkiosk1koisk2
Edit distance from "kiosk"

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 "kiosk"?
"kiosk" is spelled K-I-O-S-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkiːˌɒsk/.
What does "kiosk" mean?
As a noun, "kiosk" means: A small enclosed structure, often freestanding, open on one side or with a window, used as a booth to sell newspapers, cigarettes, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "kiosk"?
"kiosk" is commonly confused with "Kos", "Kok", "kiss". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kiosk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kiosk" is /ˈkiːˌɒsk/. 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 "kiosk"?
Earlier kiosque, from French kiosque, from Italian chiosco, from Ottoman Turkish كوشك (köşk), from Classical Persian کوشْک (kōšk, “palace, portico”), from Middle Persian kwšk' (kōšk). 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 "kiosk", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Klopp#28,970Jeter#28,965Jeong#28,963jazzy#28,961

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

hummus7 variantsmallet7 variantsgusto7 variantsfemur7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list