kismet

Name: kismet, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈkɪz.mɛt/

//ˈkɪz.mɛt// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“kismet” is an uncommon English word, ranked #65,239 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#65,239
frequency rank, English: 6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Fate; a predetermined or unavoidable destiny.

Key facts for kismet
Property	Value
Headword	kismet
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈkɪz.mɛt/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#65,239
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kismet” 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). kismet lands here:

#65,239

#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 kismet is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɪz.mɛt/. Corpus data places it at rank #65,239 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "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
Fate; a predetermined or unavoidable destiny.

Etymology

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

This word in other languages

hado(Español)destin(Français)fado(Português)

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.

Using “kismet”

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

The one correct English spelling is K-I-S-M-E-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈkɪz.mɛt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
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.