Words with K

History of the letter K

Its origins trace back to the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph that depicted a hand, which led to the Phoenician letter kaph. This symbol was adopted into the Greek alphabet as kappa (Κ, κ) and eventually made its way into Latin, from which English directly inherits its version of "K." Phonetically, "K" represents a voiceless velar stop, produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract with the back of the tongue pressed against the soft part of the palate towards the back of the mouth, then releasing the air without vocal cord vibration—as heard in the words "kite" and "kangaroo." Notably, "K" can be silent when it precedes an "n" at the beginning of words, such as "knight" or "knit." Despite its relatively less frequent use compared to other consonants in English, "K" finds significant application across various fields; in the periodic table of elements, "K" stands for potassium, and in the metric system, "k" denotes kilo, representing a thousand units of measure. The letter's sharp sound and distinctive appearance contribute its unique character within the alphabet, embodying both ancient lineage and broad utility in contemporary contexts.

Words that start with K