The first structurally characterized alkali metal phospho­nate, the title compound, [K₂(C₆H₆O₃P)₂(C₃H₇NO)(H₂O)]_n, has a complex structure, with layers parallel to the crystallographic bc plane consisting of two crystallographically independent K atoms sandwiched between the three types of ligands present in the structure, viz. water molecules, dimethyl­formamide molecules and two crystallographically independent phenyl­phospho­nate ligands. Six O atoms coordinate to one K atom and seven to the other. The interlayer distance is 15.327 (4) Å. The K—O distances are in the range 2.739 (2)–2.932 (2) Å for the seven-coordinate K atom and 2.650 (2)–2.821 (2) Å for the six-coordinate K atom.