Looking for verbs that start with K? You’re not alone. K is not a very common starting letter in English, so many people find it hard to think of verbs beginning with it. But the interesting part is that there are actually many useful K-verbs. You just don’t hear them very often.
In this article, we’ve gathered a clear, easy list to help you discover these words, understand their meanings, and learn how to use them confidently in your sentences.
What Are Verbs That Start With K?
Verbs are words that tell us what someone or something does. They show actions, movements, feelings, or even states of being. We use them all the time without giving it much thought. But when it comes to verbs that start with K, many people feel stuck because K isn’t a very common starting letter.
Before we explore the list, here’s a quick reminder. Verbs can work in different ways. Some verbs need an object, some don’t, some link ideas together, and others describe a condition. Once you recognize how verbs work, everything becomes much easier to understand.
So let’s keep things simple and jump right into some useful verbs that start with K. You’ll see that there are more of them than you might expect.
Discover more verbs that start with…
A| B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | O |
30 Common Verbs Starting With K
| Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Keep | To continue or retain | You should keep practicing daily. |
| Kick | To strike with the foot | He kicked the ball into the goal. |
| Kill | To end a life | Pesticides kill harmful insects. |
| Knock | To hit a surface | She knocked on the door politely. |
| Know | To have knowledge | I know the answer to this question. |
| Kneel | To lower oneself onto the knees | The players kneeled before the match. |
| Kiss | To touch someone with the lips | She kissed her baby on the cheek. |
| Kayak | To travel by small boat | They kayaked across the calm lake. |
| Knead | To press dough with hands | She kneaded the bread dough carefully. |
| Kindle | To spark interest or ignite | His words kindled hope in everyone. |
| Kite | To fly a kite | The children kited on a windy afternoon. |
| Key | To enter information using a keyboard | She keyed in the password quickly. |
| Kip | To take a short rest or nap | He kipped after finishing his homework. |
| Kit | To provide with equipment | The team was kitted with safety gear. |
| Keel | To tip or overturn | The small boat keeled in the waves. |
| Knuckle | To hit with the knuckles | He knuckled the door to get attention. |
| Kibble | To grind food into small pieces | They kibbled the grain for storage. |
| Keens | To wail or cry loudly | The mourners keened at the ceremony. |
| Kernel | To remove seeds or edible parts | They kerneled the corn before cooking. |
| Knurl | To make ridges on a surface | The machine knurled the metal handle. |
| Kilt | To tuck up clothing | She kilted her skirt before crossing the stream. |
| Kayak-surf | To ride on water using a small board | They kayak-surfed along the coast. |
| Kickoff | To begin an event or activity | They kicked off the meeting on time. |
| Keep on | To continue doing something | Please keep on working until finished. |
| Keep up | To maintain pace or progress | He could not keep up with the fast runner. |
| Keep away | To stay at a distance | Keep away from the fire. |
| Keep back | To hold something in reserve | They kept back some funds for emergencies. |
| Knock out | To make unconscious or defeat | The boxer knocked out his opponent. |
| Know about | To have knowledge of something | Do you know about the latest news? |
| Knuckle down | To start working seriously | She knuckled down to finish the project. |

Action Verbs Starting With K
| Verb | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Kick | He kicked the ball across the field. |
| Knock | She knocked on the door loudly. |
| Kneel | The soldier kneeled before taking aim. |
| Kiss | She kissed the child on the forehead. |
| Kayak | They kayaked down the river. |
| Knead | The baker kneaded the dough carefully. |
| Kindle | The campers kindled a small fire. |
| Kite | The children kited their handmade kites in the park. |
| Knuckle | He knuckled the door to get attention. |
| Keel | The boat keeled suddenly in the storm. |
| Kickstart | They kickstarted the project successfully. |
| Kerf | The carpenter kerfed the wood carefully for bending. |

Positive Verbs Starting With K
| Verb | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Keep | She kept her promise to help everyone. |
| Kudos | They kudos the volunteers for their dedication. |
| Kindly | He kindly offered his support to the team. |
| Knit | She knit the family closer with her care. |
| Know | He knew exactly how to encourage his friends. |
| Kindle | His speech kindled hope among the audience. |
| Keep up | She kept up her good habits despite challenges. |
| Keep safe | They kept safe the lost children until help arrived. |
| Keep calm | He kept calm and reassured everyone during the storm. |
| Keep going | She kept going and inspired her classmates to continue. |
| Keep strong | They kept strong through difficult times. |
| Keep faith | He kept faith in his team’s abilities. |
| Keep smiling | She kept smiling to brighten the day of others. |
| Know best | He knew best how to resolve the conflict peacefully. |
| Keep learning | They kept learning new skills to improve themselves. |

Regular Verbs Starting With K
They are regular, meaning their past tense and past participle are formed by adding -ed.
| Verb | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Kick | He kicked the ball across the field. |
| Knock | She knocked on the door politely. |
| Knead | The baker kneaded the dough carefully. |
| Kiss | He kissed his mother goodbye. |
| Kayak | They kayaked along the calm river. |
| Kickstart | The manager kickstarted the new project successfully. |
| Knuckle | He knuckled the door to get attention. |
| Kite | The children kited in the windy park. |
| Key | She keyed the data into the computer. |
| Kidnap | The story described how the villain kidnapped the treasure. |
Irregular Verbs Starting With K
When it comes to verbs that start with K, there are only a few that are irregular. These verbs don’t follow the usual –ed pattern in the past tense, so it’s important to memorize their unique forms.
| Verb | Past Tense | Past Participle | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep | kept | kept | She kept all her promises. |
| Kneel | knelt / kneeled | knelt / kneeled | He knelt before the altar. |
| Know | knew | known | I knew the answer immediately. |
| Knit | knit / knitted | knit / knitted | She knit a scarf for winter. |
Phrasal verbs starting with K
Phrasal verbs starting with K are common in English. Here is the list of commonly used phrasal verbs starting with K, along with their meanings and examples:
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Keep up | To maintain pace or level | She kept up with her studies despite being busy. |
| Keep on | To continue doing something | He kept on talking even after the bell rang. |
| Keep away | To stay at a distance from something | Please keep away from the wet paint. |
| Kick off | To start an event or activity | The manager kicked off the meeting with a warm welcome. |
| Kick out | To force someone to leave | The teacher kicked out the student for cheating. |
| Knock down | To hit and cause to fall | The strong wind knocked down the signboard. |
| Knock out | To make someone unconscious or impress greatly | The boxer knocked out his opponent in the first round. |
| Keep back | To hold something in reserve | They kept back some money for emergencies. |
| Keep off | To avoid stepping on or touching | Keep off the grass. |
| Keep out | To prevent entry | The sign said keep out of the construction site. |
| Keep in | To maintain communication | She kept in touch with her old friends. |
| Keep down | To control or reduce | The doctor advised him to keep down stress levels. |
| Keep track of | To monitor or record | She kept track of all expenses. |
| Keep going | To continue moving or working | She kept going despite feeling tired. |
| Kick around | To discuss or consider casually | They kicked around ideas for the new project. |
Rare Verbs Starting With K
| Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Kowtow | To act in a subservient manner | He kowtowed to the manager to gain favor. |
| Keel | To tip over or capsize (usually a boat) | The small boat keeled in the strong wind. |
| Knurl | To form small ridges or grooves on a surface | The craftsman knurled the metal handle for a better grip. |
| Knead | To work dough or clay into a smooth mass | The baker kneaded the dough thoroughly. |
| Kindle | To begin or revitalise a process or project | Her speech kindled excitement among the students. |
| Kickstart | To begin or revitalize a process or project | The campaign kickstarted community engagement. |
| Knit | To make fabric by interlocking loops of yarn | She knit a warm scarf for winter. |
Popular Verbs That Start With K
| Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Keep | To continue, retain, or maintain | She kept her promise to help the team. |
| Know | To have knowledge or understanding | He knows the answer to every question. |
| Kick | To strike with the foot | The player kicked the ball into the goal. |
| Knock | To hit a surface to get attention | Please knock before entering the room. |
| Kindle | To ignite or inspire | Her speech kindled excitement in the audience. |
| Knead | To work dough or clay | The chef kneaded the dough carefully. |
| Kickstart | To begin or revitalize a project or process | The manager kickstarted the new initiative successfully. |
| Knit | To make fabric by interlocking loops of yarn | She knit a scarf for winter. |
FAQs About Verbs That Start With K
There are dozens of verbs starting with K in English, including common ones like keep, know, kick, and rare ones like kowtow, knurl.
Popular K-phrasal verbs include keep up, keep on, keep away, kick off, knock out, and more.
Yes, irregular K-verbs include keep, know, kneel, and knit (in its irregular form).
Conclusion
Verbs starting with K can range from common everyday actions like kick and know to rare and unique ones like kowtow or knurl. Learning them helps improve your vocabulary, make writing more expressive, and enhance communication skills. By exploring regular, irregular, positive, phrasal, rare, and impactful K-verbs, you can confidently use these verbs in both spoken and written English.
You May Also Like
- Positive Adjectives That Start with K
- 140 Essential Fruits That Start With K
- List of 500 Things That Start with K
- Words That Start with K for Kindergarten
- 100 Thanksgiving Words That Start With K
- Preschool Words That Start With K
- 50 Christmas Words That Start With K
- 100+ Geometry Words That Start With K
- 100 Science Words That Start With K
- Adjectives That Start With K