nouns-that-start-with-k

169 Nouns That Start with K | Huge List with Definitions and Examples

  • Last updated: October 22, 2022

In this article, we are going to talk about nouns that start with K. Nouns make the bulk of English vocabulary and it is a must that we try and learn as many of them as possible. All of the things of this world have been labeled with a name and that label embodies several underlying features of that particular thing. Hence learning that name will help us in knowing that thing in detail.

K is the 11th letter in the alphabet and one of the least frequently used letters, but is believed to make people laugh and feel good. It’s a voiceless velar plosive and an oral consonant with air escaping through the mouth only. Just like the letter K itself most of the nouns that starting with K make people laugh such as kid, kiss, kindness, etc.

If we talk about nouns beginning with K in general, they are not that common, hence learning them will help you in both written and oral communications.

Now let’s go through the categories of nouns that start with K one by one, that have been provided in this article. Try and memorize as many of these nouns that start with K as possible.

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Nouns That Start with K You Always Use

Nouns are everywhere in our speech and writing. They form a large proportion of English vocabulary. Some of the nouns that start with K that we use regularly are given below.

1. Kid

  • Definition: a child
  • Synonyms: child, youngster, little one
  • Example: He took the kids to the park while I was working.

2. Kiss

  • Definition: a touch or caress with the lips
  • Synonyms: smooch, snog
  • Example: He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

3. Kitchen

  • Definition: a place with cooking facilities
  • Synonyms: canteen, cookhouse, cuisine
  • Example: The few remaining guests are in the kitchen.

4. Kettle

  • Definition: a metallic vessel usually used for boiling liquids
  • Synonyms: boiler, cauldron, pot
  • Example: A tea kettle was already whistling when they entered.

5. Knife

  • Definition: a cutting instrument consisting of a sharp blade fastened to a handle
  • Synonyms: bayonet, blade, cutter
  • Example: He pulled a knife on me and threatened to stab me with it.

6. Key

  • Definition: a usually metal instrument by which the bolt of a lock is turned
  • Synonyms: latchkey, opener
  • Example: There were two keys to the cupboard.

7. Kidney

  • Definition: either of a pair of small organs in the body that take away waste matter from the blood to produce urine
  • Synonyms: excretory organ, urinary organ, renal
  • Example: The kidney plays a vital role in the removal of waste products from the blood.

8. Kilogram

  • Definition: a unit of mass equal to 1,000 grams
  • Synonyms: kilo, kg
  • Example: Their baby was born prematurely and weighed only one kilogram.

9. Kilometer

  • Definition: a metric unit of measurement equal to 1,000 meters
  • Synonyms: km, mile
  • Example: He traveled 18 kilometers on foot.

10. King

  • Definition: (the title of) a male ruler of a country
  • Synonyms: napoleon, prince, tycoon
  • Example: Prince Juan Carlos of Spain became king in 1975.

Nouns That Start with K You Usually Use

You might find it useful to think of a noun as a naming word. Anything you see or feel, a particular name can be assigned to it. Following is a list of nouns starting with K that we usually use in our day-to-day communications.

1. Ketchup

  • Definition: a thick, cold, red sauce made from tomatoes
  • Synonyms: condiment, gravy, sauce
  • Example: Do you want some ketchup with your burger?

2. Keyboard

  • Definition: the set of keys on a computer or typewriter
  • Synonyms: keypad, clavier
  • Example: The computer comes with a wireless mouse and keyboard.

3. Kit

  • Definition: a set of things, such as tools or clothes, used for a particular purpose
  • Synonyms: equipment, tools, implements
  • Example: I bought a new cycle repair kit.

4. Knock

  • Definition: a sudden short noise made when someone or something hits a surface
  • Synonyms: tap, thump
  • Example: There was a knock at the door.

5. Kite

  • Definition: a frame covered with cloth or plastic and joined to a long string, that you fly in the air when the weather is windy
  • Synonyms: sport, harpy
  • Example: The bird is terrified and tries to fly away from the kite.

6. Knuckle

  • Definition: a part of a finger at a joint where the bone is near the surface, especially where the finger joins the hand
  • Synonyms: joint, knucks
  • Example: Howie put his knuckles to the side of his head and closed his eyes.

7. Kitten

  • Definition: a very young cat
  • Synonyms: kitty, feline
  • Example: Our cat just had six kittens.

8. Kill

  • Definition: an act of killing, especially of one animal by another
  • Synonyms: dispatch, killing, ending
  • Example: A lion has made a kill.

9. Knee

  • Definition: the middle joint of the leg that allows the leg to bend
  • Synonyms: patella, joint, hinge
  • Example: The baby was crawling around on its hands and knees.  

10. Kind

  • Definition: a group of people having similar characteristics
  • Synonyms: sort, type, variety
  • Example: She’s not the kind of person who criticizes others.

Nouns That Start with K You Often Use

Following are some of the nouns beginning with K that we often make use of. Try and use these nouns that begin with the letter K into your own phrases and sentences.

1. Kick

  • Definition: the action of kicking something
  • Synonyms: boot, punt
  • Example: He gave the ball a good kick.

2. Kingdom

  • Definition: a country ruled by a king or queen
  • Synonyms: realm, domain
  • Example: Rome annexed the Nabatean kingdom in 106 AD.

3. Keeping

  • Definition: the action or fact of owning, maintaining, or protecting something
  • Synonyms: care, custody, charge
  • Example: He loves the keeping of dogs.

4. Kith

  • Definition: one’s friends, acquaintances, and relations
  • Synonyms: family, folk, house
  • Example: Don’t quarrel with him; he’s your own kith and kin.

5. Kin

  • Definition: family and relations
  • Synonyms: relatives, family
  • Example: Many elderly people have no kin to turn to for assistance.

6. Keenness

  • Definition: the quality of being very interested and eager, or wanting something very much
  • Synonyms: eagerness, willingness, readiness
  • Example: John approved of my keenness to work.

7. Kerchief

  • Definition: a square piece of cloth worn around the neck
  • Synonyms: hankie, scarf, bandana
  • Example: Jozia blew her red nose into her kerchief.

8. Kerosene

  • Definition: a light fuel oil obtained by distilling petroleum, used especially in jet engines and domestic heating boilers; paraffin oil
  • Synonyms: oil, fuel
  • Example: A leakage of kerosene has polluted water supplies.

9. Kinship

  • Definition: the relationship between members of the same family
  • Synonyms: relationship, relatedness
  • Example: Different ethnic groups have different systems of kinship.

10. Ken

  • Definition: one’s range of knowledge or understanding
  • Synonyms: knowledge, understanding
  • Example: Politics are beyond my ken.

Nouns That Start with K You Sometimes Use

These are some of the nouns that start with the letter K that people only use sometimes in their everyday lives. Which one of these nouns do you make use of in your speech and writings?

1. Keyhole

  • Definition: a hole for receiving a key
  • Synonyms: pothole, peephole
  • Example: A thread of light emerged from the keyhole.

2. Keynote

  • Definition: the most important or most emphasized part of something
  • Synonyms: gist, summary
  • Example: This issue has become the keynote of the election campaign.

3. Kitchenette

  • Definition: a small room or area used as a kitchen
  • Synonyms: canteen, food place
  • Example: The apartments sleep 2-4 and have private facilities, kitchenette and balcony.

4. Keypad

  • Definition: a small set of keys that is part of a larger keyboard
  • Synonyms: dashboard, knob
  • Example: Deactivate the alarm by punching a code into the keypad mounted inside the house.

5. Kennel

  • Definition: a small shelter for a dog to sleep
  • Synonyms: doghouse, den
  • Example: We left our dog at the kennel when we went away.

6. Karma

  • Definition: good or bad luck, viewed as resulting from one’s actions
  • Synonyms: predestination, kismet
  • Example: This is totally karma, she told herself angrily.

7. Keg

  • Definition: a small barrel usually used for storing beer
  • Synonyms: barrel, cask, vat
  • Example: The bar tender tapped a new keg of beer.

8. Keel

  • Definition: the chief structural member of a boat or ship that extends longitudinally along the center of its bottom
  • Synonyms: base, bottom, underside
  • Example: The yacht’s keel is bolted to the hull.

9. Khaki

  • Definition: dark yellowish-green cloth, often worn by soldiers
  • Synonyms: dress, cloth
  • Example: Those boys looked smart in khaki.

10. Knockout

  • Definition: an act of knocking someone out, especially in boxing
  • Synonyms: KO, blow
  • Example: The fight ended in a knockout.

Nouns That Start with K You Occasionally Use

If you wish to learn some captivating nouns, you might begin by memorizing a list of occasionally used nouns with letter K. For your convenience, one such list of nouns has been provided below.

1. Kernel

  • Definition: the part of a nut that is inside the shell and can be eaten
  • Synonyms: seed, grain
  • Example: If you want to eat the kernel you must crack the nut.

2. Knoll

  • Definition: a small low hill with a rounded top
  • Synonyms: hill, cliff, ridge
  • Example: He looked around on that knoll for a while, transfixed with amazement, and then went down.

3. Kohl

  • Definition: lead sulphide, used as eye make-up especially in Eastern countries
  • Synonyms: stibnite, cream
  • Example: The soot in kohl helped in reducing the damaging effects of sun glare on their eyes.

4. Kayak

  • Definition: a light narrow canoe with a covering over the top
  • Synonyms: boat, coracle, canoe
  • Example: He said that the highlight of the trip was being allowed to get into a kayak and row across a lake.

5. Kazoo

  • Definition: musical instrument consisting of a hollow pipe with a hole in it
  • Synonyms: instrument, harmonium
  • Example: He enjoyed playing a kazoo in the pulpit.

6. Kestrel

  • Definition: a type of small falcon
  • Synonyms: falcon, hawk
  • Example: The kestrel undoubtedly is in no danger of extinction at the present time.

7. Kickback

  • Definition: an amount of money that is paid to someone illegally in exchange for secret help
  • Synonyms: bribe, recoil, rebound
  • Example: He is accused of paying kickbacks to a district official to win contracts with the school system.

8. Kilt

  • Definition: a knee-length pleated skirt usually of tartan worn by men
  • Synonyms: skirt, dress, petticoat
  • Example: Ben refuses to wear a kilt to the ceremony.

9. Kneecap

  • Definition: the convex bone in front of the knee joint; the patella
  • Synonyms: joint, kneepad, kneepan
  • Example: His kneecap got damaged in the accident.

10. Koala

  • Definition: an Australian mammal with greyish fur
  • Synonyms: kangaroo bear, opossum
  • Example: Look! There’s a koala bear over there.

Nouns That Start with K You Seldom Use

Let’s us now go through a list of noun words that start with K. You might be seeing some of these noun words starting with K for the very first time, so try to grasp as many as you can.

1. Kaleidoscope

  • Definition: a constantly changing pattern or sequence of elements
  • Synonyms: assortment, miscellanea
  • Example: The dancers moved in a kaleidoscope of color.

2. Kitsch

  • Definition: something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality
  • Synonyms: art, objects, design
  • Example: The restaurant is decorated with 1950s furniture and kitsch from old TV shows.

3. Kiln

  • Definition: a furnace or oven for burning, baking, or drying, especially one for calcining lime or firing pottery
  • Synonyms: oven, furnace
  • Example: Many different forms of kiln are used for burning Portland cement.

4. Kerfuffle

  • Definition: a disturbance
  • Synonyms: upheaval, disruption
  • Example: In all the kerfuffle, nobody seemed to have noticed Harry, which suited him perfectly.

5. Kiosk

  • Definition: a small building where things are sold through an open window
  • Synonyms: stand, counter, booth
  • Example: I usually buy my paper from the kiosk at the station.

6. Klaxon

  • Definition: an electric horn or warning hooter
  • Synonyms: alarm, horn
  • Example: The tug blew its klaxon three times.

7. Kleptomania

  • Definition: a persistent neurotic impulse to steal especially without economic motive
  • Synonyms: thievishness, light-fingeredness, neurosis
  • Example: They attribute his stealing of petty items to an untreated and undiagnosed case of kleptomania.

8. Kleptocracy

  • Definition: a society whose leaders make themselves rich and powerful by stealing from the rest of the people
  • Synonyms: kleptarchy, absolutism, anarchy
  • Example: In this kleptocracy, our leaders have been placing extortionate taxes on us in order to gain greater wealth for themselves.

9. Kumquat

  • Definition: an orange-like fruit related to the citruses
  • Synonyms: lychee, compote
  • Example: It is a confident blend of fruits and flower, with citrus, kumquat and star apple.

10. Kava

  • Definition: pacific Islands drink made from the crushed roots of a plant of the pepper family
  • Synonyms: kavaka, sarsaparilla
  • Example: They were serving kava inside the community house.

Positive Nouns That Start with K

If you want to learn some positive words this category is just for you. Let us now go through the list of positive nouns that start with K given below.

1. Knowledge

  • Definition: awareness or familiarity
  • Synonyms: understanding, apprehension
  • Example: His extensive knowledge surprises me.

2. Kindness

  • Definition: the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate
  • Synonyms: tenderness, affection
  • Example: He thanked them for their kindness and support.

3. Kidding

  • Definition: playfulness or teasing
  • Synonyms: fooling, mocking, ridiculing
  • Example: All kidding aside, after you receive a generated name you can check for a possible meaning behind the name.

4. Knot

  • Definition: a fastening made by looping a piece of string, rope, or something similar on itself and tightening it
  • Synonyms: link, fastening, twist
  • Example: Tie a knot at the end of the cord.

5. Keychain

  • Definition: a device that is used to hold keys and that usually consists of a metal ring
  • Synonyms: trinket, keyring
  • Example: Nixie sent me a fish shaped keychain.

6. Kudos

  • Definition: praise given for achievement
  • Synonyms: prestige, cachet, honor
  • Example: Kudos to everyone who helped.

7. Kismet

  • Definition: a force that some people think controls what happens in the future
  • Synonyms: fate, destiny, fortune
  • Example: Perhaps it was kismet Jim won the lottery right after he lost his job.

8. Kinfolk

  • Definition: members of the same family
  • Synonyms: relatives, kin, family
  • Example: Kinfolk should help one another.

9. Kindergarten

  • Definition: a nursery school
  • Synonyms: nursery, preschool, playschool
  • Example: Callie will start kindergarten in September.

10. Keepsake

  • Definition: a small item kept in memory of the person who gave it or originally owned it
  • Synonyms: memento, souvenir
  • Example: Her aunt gave her a little wooden elephant as a keepsake.

Nouns That Start with K to Describe a Person

Following are some of the nouns that start with K to describe a person and what he does. Try and memorize as many of these K nouns as possible.

1. Knight

  • Definition: a mounted man-at-arms serving a feudal superior
  • Synonyms: chevalier, horseman
  • Example: I’m reading about King Arthur and his knights.

2. Killer

  • Definition: someone who kills another person
  • Synonyms: murderer, assassin
  • Example: Police are still hoping to find the dead woman’s killer.

3. Keeper

  • Definition: a person who takes care of anyone or anything
  • Synonyms: guardian, protector, defender
  • Example: He is the organization’s official record keeper.

4. Kidnapper

  • Definition: a person who abducts someone and holds them captive, typically to obtain a ransom
  • Synonyms: abductor, felon, criminal
  • Example: He was released by his kidnappers on May 30.

5. Knave

  • Definition: a dishonest or unscrupulous man
  • Synonyms: scoundrel, rogue, rascal
  • Example: They do not need to turn knaves into knights in order to achieve their objectives.

6. Knacker

  • Definition: a person whose business is the disposal of dead or unwanted animals, especially those whose flesh is not fit for human consumption
  • Synonyms: butcher, flesher, slaughter man
  • Example: Knacker buried the rotten deer in the forest.

7. Killjoy

  • Definition: a person who does not like other people enjoying themselves
  • Synonyms: complainer, mope
  • Example: That killjoy ruined the fun by taking our beer away.

8. Kleptomaniac

  • Definition: someone with an irrational urge to steal in the absence of an economic motive.
  • Synonyms: stealer, robber, criminal
  • Example: He is a kleptomaniac who would steal anything.

9. Kingpin

  • Definition: the most important person within a particular organization
  • Synonyms: head, bigwig, boss
  • Example: He was the kingpin of the Democratic organization in Chicago.

10. Klutz

  • Definition: a silly and clumsy person
  • Synonyms: hulk, bungler
  • Example: Don’t expect Mark to catch the ball – he’s a klutz.

Nouns That Start with K – Full List (169 Words)

  • Keeping
  • Kilometer
  • Kit
  • Kennel
  • Kickback
  • Kitchen
  • Keeper
  • Knott
  • Kraft
  • Keelson
  • Kitten
  • Kleptomaniac
  • Kneecap
  • Kegful
  • Kindergarten
  • Know-How
  • Kazoo
  • Kerfuffle
  • Kidding
  • Kiln
  • Kid
  • Kerchief
  • Kenya
  • Keychain
  • Kohl
  • Kitsch
  • Kitchenette
  • Kite
  • Kale
  • Khan
  • Kill
  • Kettle
  • Karma
  • Klaxon
  • Kangaroo
  • Kilt
  • Keyboard
  • Kicker
  • Knuckleball
  • Kingpin
  • Kernel
  • Karl
  • Korean
  • Kibbutzim
  • Kidnapper
  • Kindness
  • Kith
  • Knackwurst
  • Knack
  • Kinship
  • Kindred
  • Knacker
  • Kraut
  • Knock
  • Knob
  • Kneejerk
  • Klutz
  • Ken
  • Kestrel
  • Knight
  • Killjoy
  • Kingdom
  • Kob
  • Kiloton
  • Key
  • Kiosk
  • Knife
  • Kimono
  • Kava
  • Kind
  • Knave
  • Keynote
  • Khaki
  • Keepsake
  • Knockout
  • Killer
  • Kidnaper
  • Keyhole
  • Kidney
  • Kqed
  • Kahuna
  • Keenness
  • Kinfolk
  • Kudos
  • Keypad
  • Kayak
  • Kismet
  • Knuckle
  • Knoll
  • Kiss
  • Kerosene
  • Knockdown
  • Kilogram
  • Kin
  • Kilowatt
  • Kebob
  • Kleptocracy
  • Kaleidoscope
  • Knowledge
  • Kerbside
  • Keel
  • Keno
  • King
  • Know
  • Kickoff
  • Keep
  • Ketchup
  • Knot
  • Kick
  • Keg
  • Konga
  • Kumquat
  • Kelp
  • Kedgeree
  • Kleptomania
  • Kerygma
  • Koala
  • Knee
  • Kola

Final Thoughts on Nouns That Start with K

Thank you for going through this article on nouns beginning with K. As we have told you at the start that nouns that start with K are not that common, hence it is advised that you go through this article several times if you want to memorize as many nouns as possible.

With nouns, sentences are given more clarity as listeners would know what is the object or thing being mentioned and what is happening to that particular object or thing.

In this article, you would have come across a number of different types of nouns starting with K. As an exercise, you can add new nouns that start with K into each of the above given categories which will help you to a great extent. You would sound knowledgeable too if you use such nouns in your friend circle.