How many Spanish words do you know that start with the letter K? Probably not many since there are few Spanish words that start with K, and most of them are not native to Spanish. Having said that, let's find outa bit more about the letter K in Spanish as well as learning someSpanish words that begin with it.
Some Facts about the Spanish Letter K
The name for the Spanish letter K is ka,which sounds a bit like the English word "caw." Let's hear it pronounced:
hache, i, jota, ka,
h, i, j, k,
Caption 7, Graciela Alfabeto y formación de sílabas
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Although the letter K is indeed a letter in theSpanish alphabet, it was only used rarely in theLatin language from which Spanish evolved. Forthat reason, the equivalent of the K sound inSpanish is more commonly made with the letters C orQ, as in the following examples:
la corté!
I broke up with her!
Caption 4, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 7 - Part 7
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queso y aceitunas.
cheese and olives.
Caption 6, Ariana Cena especial
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That said, likeSpanish words that start with W, most Spanish words that start with Kareextranjerismos, or words that come from other languages. Today, we'll highlight 20... then mention a few more!
Spanish Words That Start with K
Below, you'll find 20 Spanish words that start with K. You will note that many of them are spelled exactly the same asor very similarly to their English counterparts.
1. el kaleidoscopio(noun): kaleidoscope
2.elkamikaze(noun/adjective): kamikaze
Note that this word can have all of the meanings of the English noun (e.g. a suicidal pilot or driver or a kamikaze aircraft) but can also informally refer to a "speed demon." As an adjective, kamikaze can additionally be used to describe someone "reckless."
3. elkárate/karate(noun): karate
While both are valid, the accented version of the word for thisJapanese martial art in Spanish is usedmore frequentlyin Spain, while the spelling/pronunciation without an accent, which we hear in the following clip, is heard more in Latin America.
Estoy haciendo unas tomas dekarate.
I'm doing somekaratekicks.
Caption 59,Disputas La Extraña Dama - Part 9
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4. elkarma (noun): karma
Ten cuidado con el karma
Be careful withkarma
Caption 17,Yátu Tú la quieres aplicar
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5. elkaraoke(noun): karaoke
Una tarde dekaraokecon amigos
An afternoon ofkaraokewith friends
Caption 33,Ana Carolina Mejorando la pronunciación
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6. elkayak(noun): kayak/kayaking
El kayak in Spanish might refer to the boat or the sport. Let's see an example where it means the latter:
deportes como el velero, el kayak
sports such as sailing, kayaking,
Caption 27, Otavalo Un día en la ciudad de los lagos
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7. el kebab(noun): kebab
8. elkilogramo(noun): kilogram
You will note that many Spanish measurement terms start with K since they are equivalents of words from other languagesfrom themetric system, which the vast majority of the world uses.In the metric system, weight is measured with kilograms,and, for reference,one kilogram is equal to two point two pounds. While the official name for kilograms in Spanish is kilogramos,in everyday speech, many people say simply kilos.Let's hear both versions:
lo que equivale a dos kilogramos diarios por persona y día.
which is equivalent to two kilograms daily per person per day.
Caption 17, 3R Campaña de reciclaje - Part 1
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pero puede pesar hasta cuatrocientos cincuenta kilos.
but it can weigh up to four hundred and fifty kilos.
Caption 11, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de animales - Part 1
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9. elkilómetro(noun): kilometer
The metric system measures distance in kilometers. One kilometer is just over half a mile, or 0.62 miles, to be exact. Let's hear how the word for "kilometer" is pronounced in Spanish:
ya que hubiera destruido más deun kilómetrode franja dunar.
since it would have destroyed more thana kilometerof the stretch of dunes.
Caption 13,Viajando con Fermín Asociación ProDunas Marbella
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10.el kilometraje(noun): mileage
Kilometraje would be the distance traveled... in kilometers, of course!
aunque con muy pocokilometraje,
although with very lowmileage,
Caption 27,Raquel y Marisa Agente del concesionario
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11.kilometrar(verb): to measure in kilometers
12. elkilovatio(noun): kilowatt
13. la kinesiología(noun): kinesiology/physical therapy
In addition to this word, several related Spanish words start with K, such as the nounsel/la kinesiólogo/a(kinesiologist) andla kinesioterapia (kinesiotherapy)and the adjectiveskinesiológico/a (pertaining to kinesiology) and kinesioterápico(related to kinesiotherapy).
14.el kimono(noun): kimono
Like kamikaze, theword kimono was adopted from Japanese byboth Spanish and English.
15.el kiosco(noun): the kiosk
While the alternative spellingquioscois preferable in more formal circles, the spelling that maintains its K etymology is also accepted, as we see here:
Ya está por allí en la calle en ocho estados en sukioscofavorito.
It's already out there on the street in eight states at your favoritemagazine stand.
Caption 90,En la radio Falcón Total
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By the way, a personwho works in a kiosk can sometimes be called un/akiosquero/a... yet another Spanish word that can startwith K!
16. elkit (noun): kit
Like the English term, el kit in Spanish can refer to a setof items, for example,un kit de maquillaje (a makeup kit) or un kit deútiles escolares (a school supply set).
17.elkitesurf(noun): kitesurfing
Nosotros tenemos una escuela de kitesurf,
We have a kitesurfing school,
Caption 46, Adícora, Venezuela La Posada Sea Club - Part 2
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18. elkiwi(noun): kiwi
Although it's obvious what el kiwi means, be sure to check out our lesson on thenames of fruits in Spanishin orderto learn other Spanish fruit names that are totally different from their names in English.
19. elkoala(noun): koala
While thename of this furry creature is also the same in Spanish and English, we highly recommend learning some of the other names foranimals in Spanish
20. kosher(adjective): kosher
Spanish Adjectives That Start With K
You may have noticed that most of the 20 words that we have mentionedare nouns, with just one verb and a couple of adjectives.There are, however, quite afew more Spanish adjectives that start with K,most of whichare related to either specific historical figuresorregions. As a bonus, let's take a look at several of these. Whilewe have provided their masculine forms, remember that Spanish adjectives must always agree in terms of number and gender with the nouns they modify.
kafkiano: related to or supporting thenovelist Kafka
kantiano: related to or supporting the philosopher Kant
kárstico: karstic, related to karst, or a type of limestone landscape
kawaití: Kawaiti (from or pertaining to Kawait)
kazajo: Kazakh (from or pertaining to Kazakhstan)
keniano: Kenyan (from or pertainingto Kenya)
kieveño: from or pertainingto Kiev, Ukraine
kirguís: Kyrgyz (from or pertainingto Kyrgyzstan)
kiribatiano: from or pertainingto Kiribati
kurdo: Kurdish (pertainingto Kurds or their language)
Interestingly, allof these adjectives above except kársticocan also function as nouns, for example, los kenianoscan mean"the Kenyans" or "theKenyan people."
That's all for today.Canyou think of any more Spanish words that begin with K? Writeus with your suggestions and comments!
