Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kayak

/ˈkaɪˌæk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.24 in modern English

Syllables: kayak
IPA: /ˈkaɪˌæk/

16

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A type of small boat, covered over by a surface deck, powered by the occupant or occupants using a double-bladed paddle in a sitting position, from a hole in the surface deck.

verb

To use a kayak, to travel or race in a kayak.

Intransitive verb

verb

To traverse (a body of water) by kayak.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"It’s just offshore from private property inaccessible to the general public, so a good way to approach the rock is by kayak, which can be rented in the small village of Port Austin."
"Kayaking is an Olympic sport."
"On a dare, he kayaked the Harlem River in New York from Hell's Gate to Spyten Duyvil."

Etymology

Borrowed from Inuktitut ᖃᔭᖅ (qayaq, “hunter's boat”) (Inuvialuktun), from Proto-Eskimo *qayaʁ. Compare Greenlandic qajaq and Yup'ik qayaq.

Word Breakdown

Root: *qayaʁ

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkaɪˌæk/
British English: /ˈkaɪˌæk/

Usage

Inflected Forms

kayaks (plural) kaiak (alternative) kiack (alternative) kyack (alternative) kyak (alternative) qayaq (alternative) kayack (alternative) qajaq (alternative) kayaks (present, singular) kayaking (participle, present) kayaked (participle, past) kayaked (past)

Derived Forms

kayaktivism kayaktivist kayakable kayaker kayaking kayakist

Phrases

kayak cross kayak polo kayak roll kayak slalom kayak sprint

Frequently Paired Words

canoe umiak

Rhymes With

elegiac

Questions

How do you pronounce kayak?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkaɪˌæk/.
What does kayak mean?: A type of small boat, covered over by a surface deck, powered by the occupant or occupants using a double-bladed paddle in a sitting position, from a hole in the surface deck.
Where does kayak come from?: Borrowed from Inuktitut ᖃᔭᖅ (qayaq, “hunter's boat”) (Inuvialuktun), from Proto-Eskimo *qayaʁ. Compare Greenlandic qajaq and Yup'ik qayaq.

How to pronounce kayak

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “kayak”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkaɪˌæk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “kayak”.
Repeat and practice — Say “kayak” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.