Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kukri

/ˈkʊkɹi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.77 in modern English

Syllables: kukri
IPA: /ˈkʊkɹi/

13

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A curved Nepalese knife used especially by Gurkha fighters; many variants exist, but all share recurve as a common theme.

Example Sentences

"In the later part of the Second World War it was customary in the French army to vaunt the ferocity of ‘their’ Algerian Tirailleurs against the Germans, much as the British took pride in the deeds performed by the Gurkhas with their terrible kukris."
"Soon, however, the bayonets of the 72nd Highlanders and the kukris of the 2nd Gurkhas began to tell."

Etymology

From Nepali खुकुरी (khukurī).

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkʊkɹi/
British English: /ˈkʊkɹi/

Inflected Forms

kukris (plural) khukuri (alternative) kukuri (alternative) kookeree (alternative, obsolete) kookri (alternative, obsolete)

Phrases

kukri snake

Synonyms

Gurkha knife

Questions

How do you pronounce kukri?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkʊkɹi/.
What does kukri mean?: A curved Nepalese knife used especially by Gurkha fighters; many variants exist, but all share recurve as a common theme.
Where does kukri come from?: From Nepali खुकुरी (khukurī).

How to pronounce kukri

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