k

• Одиннадцатая буква английского алфавита, согласная. Обозначает глухой велярный взрывной звук /k/. Часто не произносится перед 'n' в начале слова. Используется как сокращение для тысячи, обозначение калия в химии, карата для измерения чистоты золота и одиннадцатого элемента в последовательности.

The eleventh letter of the English alphabet and the eighth consonant, representing the voiceless velar plosive sound /k/. As a grapheme, 'K' is often silent when followed by an 'n' at the beginning of a word, as in 'knee' or 'knife'. It is less common than the letter C for representing the /k/ sound in English. It functions as an abbreviation for one thousand, a designation for potassium in chemistry, a unit of measurement for gold purity (karat), and the eleventh item in a sequence.

1. The eleventh letter of the English alphabetA1formal

   The uppercase or lowercase character (K, k) that constitutes the eleventh symbol in the Latin-based English alphabet, classified as a consonant. It represents the voiceless velar plosive sound /k/. It is silent in initial 'kn' clusters like 'knee', 'knife', and 'knot'. It is the fourth least frequently used letter in English words.

   Одиннадцатая буква английского алфавита

   • The word 'king' begins with the letter K.
   • The K in 'knowledge' is silent.
   • She practiced writing a capital K with two diagonal strokes.
   • After J comes K in the alphabet.
   • The name 'Katherine' is often spelled with a K instead of a C.

2. An abbreviation for one thousandA2informal

   The letter K used as a standard abbreviation for the prefix 'kilo-', meaning one thousand. It is commonly used with numbers to denote multiples of a thousand. It derives from the Greek word 'chilioi'. In computing, it often specifically means 1024 (2^10) when referring to data, as in kilobytes.

   Тысяча (сокращение)

   • She earns a salary of 50K per year.
   • The 5K race attracted thousands of runners.
   • The image file is 200K in size.
   • We need to raise another 10K for the charity.
   • He ran a marathon, which is over 42K.

3. The chemical symbol for potassiumB1formalscientific

   The one-letter chemical symbol representing the element potassium, atomic number 19. The symbol K derives from the Neo-Latin word 'kalium'. Potassium is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal essential for biological functions, particularly nerve transmission and muscle contraction.

   Калий (химический элемент)

   • Bananas are a rich source of the element K.
   • Potassium, symbolized by K, reacts violently with water.
   • The chemical formula for potassium chloride is KCl.
   • Low K levels can cause muscle cramps.
   • The fertilizer contains N, P, and K for healthy plant growth.

4. Karat, a unit of purity for goldB1formal

   The letter K used as an abbreviation for 'karat', a unit measuring the purity of gold alloys. Pure gold is 24K. 18K gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts other metals. This system is used in jewelry making and the precious metals trade to indicate the proportion of gold in an item.

   Карат, мера чистоты золота

   • Her engagement ring is made of 24K gold.
   • 14K gold is more durable than 18K for everyday wear.
   • The bracelet is stamped with '18K' to verify its purity.
   • He inherited a 22K gold coin from his grandfather.
   • The jeweler explained that 10K is the minimum to be called gold in the US.

5. The eleventh item in a sequenceA2formal

   A designation used to mark the eleventh position, item, or category within a structured sequence, directly following J. It is commonly used in outlines, spreadsheets, seating charts, and classification systems as a label for an element in an ordered list.

   Одиннадцатый в последовательности

   • Our seats are in Row K, which is near the exit.
   • Please refer to Appendix K for additional data.
   • The answer to question 11 was K in the multiple-choice test.
   • Column K in the spreadsheet tracks employee bonuses.
   • Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting.