# Kudos

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos/93845>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [November 16, 2001, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos/93845 "2001-11-16T23:37:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Grievar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/82dd89/32.png) [@Grievar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grievar)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos/93845/1 "2001-11-16T23:37:00Z")

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I’m not 100% about this, but I have collected from  
across the net that “kudos” is both singular AND plural.  
HOWEVER, there is a pronunciation difference. The  
singular has a voiceless “ss” sound and the plural  
has the “z” sound. The first syllable can be pronounced  
“koo” or “kyoo”

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos/93845/2 "2001-11-17T02:14:43Z")

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Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board, and thank you for posting your comment.  
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The column to which the original post refers is «[What’s the origin of the word “kudos” ? (13-Sep-1999)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mkudos.html)»

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kudos/93845/3 "2001-11-17T02:22:52Z")

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[Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary](http://m-w.com) has this to say on the subject:

> [@](#):
>
> kudo does exist; it is simply one of the most recent words created by back-formation from another word misunderstood as a plural. Kudos was introduced into English in the 19th century; it was used in contexts where a reader unfamiliar with Greek could not be sure whether it was singular or plural. By the 1920s it began to appear as a plural, and about 25 years later kudo began to appear.