kitsch
/kɪt͡ʃ/noun, adjective
kitsch is spelled K-I-T-S-C-H: 6 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,145th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, kitsch means “Art, decorative objects, and other forms of representation of questionable artistic or aesthetic value; a representation that is excessively…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of kitsch is kitsches.
How many letters and syllables are in kitsch?
| Letters | 6: K-I-T-S-C-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 42,145th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like | |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is kitsch?
Kitsch appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,145th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce kitsch?
- US /kɪt͡ʃ/
Kitsch has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-kitsch.ogg, En-au-kitsch.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with kitsch
Sounds like: Kizh (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with kitsch?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as kitsch from its last stressed vowel (/ɪtʃ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: shtick, skitch.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of kitsch
- kitsches plural
- kitscher comparative
- more kitsch comparative
- kitschest superlative
- most kitsch superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does kitsch mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Art, decorative objects, and other forms of representation of questionable artistic or aesthetic value; a representation that is excessively sentimental, overdone, or vulgar.
adjective
- 1
Of art and decor: of questionable aesthetic value; excessively sentimental, overdone or vulgar.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Kitsch in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | kitsch, kitch , quétaine |
| German | Kitsch , kitschig |
| Portuguese | kitsch |
| Spanish | kitsch, cursilería |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does kitsch come from?
From German Kitsch, from dialectal kitschen (“to coat, to smear”); the word and concept were popularized in the 1930s by several critics who contrasted it with avant-garde art.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).