caterpillar

[ˈkætəpilər]

/[ˈkætəpilər]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“caterpillar” is uncommon German (frequency #80,209 among 20,081 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#80,209
frequency rank, German
20,081
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Larve von Faltern; Raupe

Key facts for caterpillar
PropertyValue
Headwordcaterpillar
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈkætəpilər]
Letters11
Frequency rank#80,209
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “caterpillar” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). caterpillar lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

caterpillar is uncommon German at frequency #80,209 among 20,081 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈkætəpilər]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Larve von Faltern; Raupe".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for caterpillar, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is caterpillar, spelled C-A-T-E-R-P-I-L-L-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Larve von Faltern; Raupe

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "caterpillar"?
"caterpillar" is spelled C-A-T-E-R-P-I-L-L-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈkætəpilər].
What does "caterpillar" mean?
As a noun, "caterpillar" means: Larve von Faltern; Raupe
How do you pronounce "caterpillar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "caterpillar" is [ˈkætəpilər]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "caterpillar" come from?
"caterpillar" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “caterpillar”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is C-A-T-E-R-P-I-L-L-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈkætəpilər] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list