know

\ˈnoʊ\

/\ˈnoʊ\/ verb

The verdict

“know” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #11,241 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#11,241
frequency rank, French
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (pour une personne, un endroit) Connaître.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

know vs ko
50% similar
know vs kW
25% similar
know vs koh
50% similar

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

Key facts for know
PropertyValue
Headwordknow
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ˈnoʊ\
Letters4
Frequency rank#11,241
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “know” sits in French 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). know lands here:

#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 French entry for know is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ˈnoʊ\. Corpus data places it at rank #11,241 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for know, with forms such as "kknow", "knnow", and "knoww". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "ko", "kW", "koh", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is know, spelled K-N-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    (pour une personne, un endroit) Connaître.
  2. 2
    (pour un objet, une idée) Savoir.
  3. 3
    Reconnaître.
  4. 4
    Être au courant.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: kknow,knnow,knoww,knwo,konw,nkow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

kknow1knnow1knoww1knwo2konw2nkow2
Edit distance from "know"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "know"?
"know" is spelled K-N-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈnoʊ\.
What does "know" mean?
As a verb, "know" means: (pour une personne, un endroit) Connaître.
What words are commonly confused with "know"?
"know" is commonly confused with "ko", "kW", "koh". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "know"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "know" is \ˈnoʊ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "know" come from?
"know" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “know”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is K-N-O-W - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈnoʊ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ko” - see the side-by-side comparison. know vs ko
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list