# Kay

/ˈkeɪ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/kay
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. agreement

interjection · CEFR A1 · Informal

a short way to say 'okay' to show you agree or understand.

For teachers: a colloquial clipping of 'okay', used to express agreement, acceptance, or understanding.

- 'I'll meet you at the station at six.' 'Kay, see you then.'
- After the manager finished explaining the new safety protocols, the employee simply replied, 'Kay,' and returned to his workstation.

Usage: Often spelled as 'kay' or simply 'k' in text messages.

### 2. the letter K

noun · CEFR B2

the name of the letter 'K'.

For teachers: the phonetic name for the eleventh letter of the English alphabet.

- The word 'knife' starts with a silent kay.
- The child carefully traced the letter, making sure the vertical stroke of the kay was perfectly straight.

Usage: Usually spelled out as 'kay' only when discussing the letter as an object or sound.

### 3. a thousand

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

a short way to say one thousand, especially when talking about money.

For teachers: a colloquial term for a thousand, derived from the prefix 'kilo-'.

- He earns about fifty kay a year at his new job.
- The renovation was estimated to cost at least twenty kay, which was significantly over the initial budget.

Usage: Commonly used in financial contexts or when discussing distances in kilometers.

## Examples

- I'll be there in five minutes. Kay.
- I'm going to the store now, kay? I'll be back soon.
- The speaker used a quick 'kay' to signal they had processed the instruction before immediately returning to the task at hand.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.