Kitty Corner vs Katty Corner: Which Is Correct?

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Writers often stop to ask kitty corner vs katty corner because the word is spoken far more often than it is written, and the spelling can vary a lot by region. There is good news: the word has a clear history and a few widely accepted forms. This guide explains the difference between kitty corner and katty corner, where the word comes from, and which spelling to use in everyday and formal writing.

What does “kitty-corner” mean?

Kitty-corner means diagonally across from something, or positioned on a diagonal. It is both an adverb and an adjective, and it is most often used for places on opposite corners of an intersection.

• The bank is kitty-corner from the library.
• The cafe sits kitty-corner across the street.
• They sat kitty-corner at the table so they could talk.

Note that it does not mean “directly across” or “next to.” It means across the corner, like the opposite point of an X.

Is “katty-corner” a real spelling?

Not a standard one. “Katty-corner” appears mainly as a rare respelling of “catty-corner,” and some older reference books mention it as a regional variant. Major dictionaries list “kitty-corner” and “catty-corner” instead, along with “cater-corner.”

If you want your writing to look careful and consistent, choose “kitty-corner” or “catty-corner.” This is the point behind most searches for the difference between kitty corner and katty corner.

Where does “kitty-corner” come from?

Cats have nothing to do with it. The word began as “cater-corner.” The “cater” part comes from the Middle French word quatre, meaning “four.” English speakers used “cater” for the four-dotted side of a die, and the four dots sit at the corners like an X. That led to a dialect use of “cater” meaning to place or cut diagonally.

The first known use of the word is from 1838. Over time, the unfamiliar “cater” was reshaped into the more familiar “catty” and “kitty,” a process often called folk etymology. By the late 1800s, some grammar writers were already complaining about the cat versions, but they stuck.

Kitty-corner vs catty-corner vs cater-corner

All three are recorded in dictionaries and all mean the same thing. They differ in popularity, region and style.

• Kitty-corner is the most common form, and Merriam-Webster treats it as the main entry.
• Catty-corner is common too, and it is more likely to be heard in the South and South Midland.
• Cater-corner is the older form, and it is the one some formal style guides prefer.

Style guides disagree. The AP Stylebook leans toward “kitty-corner,” while The New York Times manual has preferred “cater-corner.” If you are writing for a publication, follow its house style.

What about “catawampus”?

Catawampus, also spelled cattywampus, is a related Southern word. It usually means crooked or askew, though in some regions people use it in a way that overlaps with kitty-corner. If you need a precise “diagonal” meaning, kitty-corner or cater-corner is clearer.

Kitty corner vs katty corner: which spelling should you use?

Use kitty-corner for most writing, because it is the most common and widely recognized form. Use catty-corner if it matches your audience or region. Use cater-corner if a formal style guide asks for it. Skip katty-corner, which is a rare respelling.

Compare these pairs:

• The pharmacy is kitty-corner from the school. (Most common.)
• The pharmacy is catty-corner from the school. (A common variant.)
• The pharmacy is cater-corner from the school. (The older, formal form.)

If you want to avoid the question altogether, write “diagonally across from,” which always works.

Common mistakes with kitty-corner

• ✗ The bank is katty-corner from the library.
  ✓ The bank is kitty-corner (or catty-corner) from the library.
• ✗ The shop is kitty-corner, directly across the street.
  ✓ The shop is kitty-corner, diagonally across the intersection.
• ✗ Kitty-corner comes from an old saying about cats.
  ✓ It comes from “cater,” an old word for “four.”
• ✗ Only one spelling is ever correct.
  ✓ Kitty-, catty- and cater-corner are all recorded, and kitty-corner is the most common.
• ✗ We sat kittycorner at the table.
  ✓ We sat kitty-corner at the table.

How can you remember which one to use?

Think of the X on a die. Here are three memory tricks:

1. The four-dots trick: “Cater” meant four, and the four dots on a die form the corners of an X, so the word is about diagonals.
2. The diagonal-not-direct rule: Kitty-corner means across the corner, not straight across.
3. The pick-two rule: Choose kitty- or catty-, and skip katty-.

FAQ: Kitty Corner vs Katty Corner

Is it kitty-corner or katty-corner?

Use kitty-corner, the most common form, or catty-corner. Katty-corner is a rare respelling and is not a standard dictionary form.

What does kitty-corner mean?

It means diagonally across from, or positioned diagonally.

Where does kitty-corner come from?

It comes from cater-corner. Cater comes from the French word quatre, meaning four, and was used for the four-dotted side of a die.

Is catty-corner correct?

Yes. It is a common variant, especially in the southern United States.

Is cater-corner correct?

Yes. It is the older form and is preferred by some formal style guides, though kitty-corner is more common.

Conclusion

When you’re stuck on kitty corner vs katty corner, remember that kitty-corner is the most common form, catty-corner is a close second, and katty-corner is a rare respelling to avoid. Cats have nothing to do with it, since the word began as “cater-corner” and the French word for four. Share this with someone who mixes these up!