turnkey
/ˈtɜː(ɹ)nˌkiː/adjective, noun, verb
turnkey is spelled T-U-R-N-K-E-Y: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 50,539th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “turn-key vs turnkey” about 10 times a month (Google, United States). As an adjective, turnkey means “Ready to use without further assembly or test; supplied in a state that is ready to turn on and operate (typically refers to an assembly that is…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in turnkey?
| Letters | 7: T-U-R-N-K-E-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 50,539th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people 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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is turnkey?
Turnkey appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 50,539th 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 turnkey?
- /ˈtɜː(ɹ)nˌkiː/
Turnkey 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-turnkey.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with turnkey
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: turn-key (one word or two).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of turnkey
- more turnkey comparative
- most turnkey superlative
- turnkeys plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- turnkeying participle, present
- turnkeyed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does turnkey mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Ready to use without further assembly or test; supplied in a state that is ready to turn on and operate (typically refers to an assembly that is outsourced for manufacture).
They wanted a turnkey solution for the entire system, but we could only provide the enclosure.
noun
- 1
A system that is supplied ready to switch on and operate.
- 2
datedA warder or jailer; a keeper of the keys in a prison.
verb
- 1
To supply a turnkey product; to supply something fully assembled and ready to use.
We can sell you all the parts, or we can turnkey the entire unit.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Turnkey in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | clé en main, clés en main , guichetier |
| German | schlüsselfertig , Gefangenenwärter, Gefangenenwärterin, Gefängniswärter, Gefängniswärterin |
| Spanish | llave en mano , llavero |
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 turnkey come from?
From turn + key. (jailer): Compare typologically Russian вертуха́й (vertuxáj) (akin to верте́ть (vertétʹ)).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).