Have you noticed these alternative spellings for the same word: 'kickoff' or 'kick-off' or 'kick off'? If so, you might be wondering which one is correct. In this article, you'll learn the meaning of each word and how to use it.
In short, 'kickoff' and 'kick-off' are synonyms and are nouns that refer to the start of something.
'Kick off' is the verb form of these words.
It might seem like a complex issue at first: all these words that look so similar can easily be confused. But don't worry; it's actually a lot simpler than it seems.
Firstly, 'kickoff' and 'kick-off' mean the same thing. It's just that 'kick-off' is more prevalent in the UK. They are both nouns.
For simplicity's sake, we'll just use the spelling 'kickoff' for the rest of this article, but remember they are interchangeable.
A kickoff is the start of something. You can use it in a wide variety of contexts, from sports to action plans or even events. Look at the following sentence, for example:
What time is the kickoff?
In the above sentence, the noun kickoff refers to the start time for whatever event is being referred to.
'Kickoff' can also function as an adjective. Remember, adjectives modify nouns, so make sure it's placed near a noun in this context. For example:
The kickoff campaign will launch tomorrow.
'Kickoff,' here, modifies the noun' campaign.'
'Kick off' is the phrasal verb for the noun 'kickoff.' A phrasal verb is two or more words that make a verb. The words can't be separated without affecting the meaning.
Some other common phrasal verbs we've covered include:
To 'kick off' something means to declare its beginning. For example:
The World Cup kicks off this weekend with a riveting match between two countries that have faced each other before.
But the phrasal verb has other meanings, too. Those include:
Now that we're clear on each word's meaning let's look at its pronunciation. The good news is that all three are pronounced exactly the same. The International Phonetics Alphabet spells them like this:
/kɪkɒf/
And when you say them, they sound like this:
kik-awf
Now let's take a look at some more examples of these terms used in a sentence. We'll look at 'kickoff' and 'kick-off' together, then 'kick off.'
The first throw of the dice will mark the game's kickoff.
It's customary to have a kick-off party to celebrate the start of any new project.
Management's putting pressure on us to launch a successful kickoff campaign.
They toss a coin to decide which team will take the first kick-off.
It looks like the kickoff has been delayed again.
And now some examples of the verb using variations of its different tenses.
The game is kicking off at 9 pm.
Go home, kick off your shoes, put your feet up, and enjoy a nice glass of wine. You deserve it.
The group was kicked off the team after their terrible behavior.
We chose to kick off the debate with a controversial statement for a good reason.
I'm working really hard, but my business just isn't kicking off the way I had hoped.
So there you have it: 'kickoff' and 'kick-off' are nouns that you can use interchangeably (though it's best to use the former if in the US and the latter in the UK), and 'kick off' is a verb.
Head to our blog to learn about more confusing words like these.
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