know-how
/ˈnəʊ.haʊ/
"know-how" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“know-how” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The knowledge and skill to be able to (do something correctly).
Corpus desk
Index EN-know-how · know-how · English
know-how · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 8 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "K" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| 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) |
Long-tail rank of “know-how” in English
Rare enough to double-check
know-how is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈnəʊ.haʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "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).
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how know-how appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Marlo has the know-how to fix your computer.
American innovators — with their world-class strengths in product design, marketing and finance — may have a historic opportunity to convert the scientific know-how from abroad into market gains and profits. Mr. Hill views the transition to “the postscientific society” as an unrecognized bonus for American creators of new products and services.
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.