kudos

/ˈk(j)uːdɒs/

//ˈk(j)uːdɒs// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"kudos" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kudos” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,060. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,060
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Praise; accolades.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kudos · kudos · English

kudos · rank #16,060 · 7 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,060
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH Kramer

Nearest frequency peer: Kramer (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “kudos”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “kudos” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

kudos vs Kuo
40% similar
kudos vs Kos
40% similar
kudos vs kids
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for kudos
PropertyValue
Headwordkudos
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈk(j)uːdɒs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#16,060
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “kudos”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).kudoslands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Kramer” (#16,059), “layered” (#16,061), “knitting” (#16,058). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “kudos” is #16,060. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around kudos (IPA /ˈk(j)uːdɒs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,060 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for kudos, with forms such as "kduos", "kkudos", and "kuddos". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "Kuo", "Kos", "kids", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Ancient Greek κῦδος (kûdos, “praise, renown”). The correct English form is kudos, spelled K-U-D-O-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Praise; accolades.
  2. 2
    Credit for one's achievements.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how kudos appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The talented, young playwright received much kudos for his new drama.
  2. I gave Chelsea much kudos for the birth of her first daughter.

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek κῦδος (kûdos, “praise, renown”).

This word in other languages

elogio(Español)louange(Français)Lob(Deutsch)elogio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • kduos
  • kkudos
  • kuddos
  • kudoss
  • kudso
  • kuods
  • ukdos

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of kudos - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

kduos2kkudos1kuddos1kudoss1kudso2kuods2ukdos2
Edit distance from "kudos"

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 "kudos"?
"kudos" is spelled K-U-D-O-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈk(j)uːdɒs/.
What does "kudos" mean?
As a noun, "kudos" means: Praise; accolades.
What words are commonly confused with "kudos"?
"kudos" is commonly confused with "Kuo", "Kos", "kids". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kudos"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kudos" is /ˈk(j)uːdɒs/. 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 "kudos"?
Borrowed from Ancient Greek κῦδος (kûdos, “praise, renown”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "kudos", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Lucia#16,068inlet#16,051mains#16,070hoops#16,044

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Howell7 variantsmould7 variantsnipple7 variantsFarrell7 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list