kismet

/ˈkɪz.mɛt/

//ˈkɪz.mɛt// noun

"kismet" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kismet” is uncommon English (frequency #65,239 among 1,236 “K” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,239
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Fate; a predetermined or unavoidable destiny.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kismet · kismet · English

kismet · rank #65,239 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #65,239
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH kitsune

Nearest frequency peer: kitsune (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “kismet”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “kismet” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for kismet
PropertyValue
Headwordkismet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɪz.mɛt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#65,239
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “kismet” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).kismetfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “kitsune” (#65,240), “kipper” (#65,237), “kneeled” (#65,241). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “kismet” is #65,239. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

kismet is uncommon English at frequency #65,239 among 1,236 “K” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɪz.mɛt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Fate; a predetermined or unavoidable destiny.".

kismet has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ottoman Turkish قسمت (kısmet, “fate, destiny”) (Turkish kısmet), from Arabic قِسْمَة (qisma, “division, lot, destiny”). The correct English form is kismet, spelled K-I-S-M-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Fate; a predetermined or unavoidable destiny.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But these things are kismet, and we only find out all about them just when any knowledge is too late.
  2. "Golly!" he cried. "I'm awfully sorry, Bo'sun, but you're It. You're luck's clean out to-day. What rotten Kismet you do have. The Lot fell on you all right, smack in the middle of your chest."

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish قسمت (kısmet, “fate, destiny”) (Turkish kısmet), from Arabic قِسْمَة (qisma, “division, lot, destiny”).

This word in other languages

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 "kismet"?
"kismet" is spelled K-I-S-M-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɪz.mɛt/.
What does "kismet" mean?
As a noun, "kismet" means: Fate; a predetermined or unavoidable destiny.
How do you pronounce "kismet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kismet" is /ˈkɪz.mɛt/. 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 "kismet"?
From Ottoman Turkish قسمت (kısmet, “fate, destiny”) (Turkish kısmet), from Arabic قِسْمَة (qisma, “division, lot, destiny”). 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 "kismet", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list