know-how
/ˈnəʊ.haʊ/
"know-how" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“know-how” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The knowledge and skill to be able to (do something correctly).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | know-how |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈnəʊ.haʊ/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “know-how” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for know-how is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnəʊ.haʊ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "The knowledge and skill to be able to (do something correctly).".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for know-how, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Deverbal from know how. American English, 1838. The correct English form is know-how, spelled K-N-O-W---H-O-W.
Definition
- 1The knowledge and skill to be able to (do something correctly).
Etymology
Deverbal from know how. American English, 1838.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "know-how"?
What does "know-how" mean?
How do you pronounce "know-how"?
What is the origin of the word "know-how"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “know-how”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is K-N-O-W---H-O-W - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈnəʊ.haʊ/ (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.