kowtow

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

/ˈkaʊˌtaʊ/

//ˈkaʊˌtaʊ// verb

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

The verdict

“kowtow” is an uncommon English word, ranked #78,761 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#78,761
frequency rank, English: 6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To kneel and bow low enough to touch one’s forehead to the ground.

Key facts for kowtow
Property	Value
Headword	kowtow
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/ˈkaʊˌtaʊ/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#78,761
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kowtow” 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). kowtow lands here:

#78,761

#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 kowtow is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkaʊˌtaʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #78,761 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for kowtow in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From either Cantonese 叩頭 /叩头 (kau³ tau⁴) or Mandarin 叩頭 /叩头 (kòutóu). Literally, “knock head”. The correct English form is kowtow, spelled K-O-W-T-O-W.

Definition

1
To kneel and bow low enough to touch one’s forehead to the ground.
2
To grovel, act in a very submissive manner; to show obeisance to (someone or something) in such a manner; to bow.
3
To bow very deeply.

Etymology

From either Cantonese 叩頭 /叩头 (kau³ tau⁴) or Mandarin 叩頭 /叩头 (kòutóu). Literally, “knock head”.

This word in other languages

se prosterner(Français)kriechen(Deutsch)

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 "kowtow"?

"kowtow" is spelled K-O-W-T-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkaʊˌtaʊ/.

What does "kowtow" mean?

As a verb, "kowtow" means: To kneel and bow low enough to touch one’s forehead to the ground.

How do you pronounce "kowtow"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kowtow" is /ˈkaʊˌtaʊ/. 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 "kowtow"?

From either Cantonese 叩頭 /叩头 (kau³ tau⁴) or Mandarin 叩頭 /叩头 (kòutóu). Literally, “knock head”. 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 “kowtow”

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

The one correct English spelling is K-O-W-T-O-W - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈkaʊˌtaʊ/ (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.