kudos
/ˈkuˌdoʊz/noun, interjection, verb
kudos is spelled K-U-D-O-S: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,005th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, kudos means “Praise; accolades” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in kudos?
| Letters | 5: K-U-D-O-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.8 times per million words; the 16,005th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is kudos?
Kudos appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,005th 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 kudos?
- UK /ˈk(j)uː.dɒs/
- US /ˈkuˌdoʊz/
- US /ˈkuˌdoʊs/
Kudos has 2 syllables (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-au-kudos.ogg, En-us-kudos.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of kudos
- kudoses present, singular, he/she/it
- kudosing participle, present
- kudosed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does kudos mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Praise; accolades.
The talented, young playwright received much kudos for his new drama.
- 2
Credit for one's achievements.
interjection
- 1
An interjection indicating praise or approval or as an acknowledgement of a laudable achievement.
verb
- 1
informalTo give praise or accolades.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Kudos in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | louange, gloire, félicitations |
| German | Lob, Beifall, Applaus , Ruhm, Ehre, Ansehen |
| Portuguese | elogio, louvor , muito bem |
| Spanish | elogio , prestigio, renombre, gloria , felicitaciones |
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 kudos come from?
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κῦδος (kûdos, “praise, renown”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).