cabotage
/ˈkæbətɪd͡ʒ/
"cabotage" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cabotage” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The transport of goods or passengers between two points in the same country.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cabotage |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkæbətɪd͡ʒ/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “cabotage” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
cabotage is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkæbətɪd͡ʒ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for cabotage in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French cabotage (“coasting trade”), from caboter (“to travel by the coast”). It originally (16th c.) referred to restrictions allowing only French ships to trade or transport between French ports. Other countries adopted this concept and exten… The correct English form is cabotage, spelled C-A-B-O-T-A-G-E.
Definition
- 1The transport of goods or passengers between two points in the same country.
- 2The right to engage in such transport.
- 3The exclusive right of a country to control such transport.
Etymology
Borrowed from French cabotage (“coasting trade”), from caboter (“to travel by the coast”). It originally (16th c.) referred to restrictions allowing only French ships to trade or transport between French ports. Other countries adopted this concept and extended it to land and air travel.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “cabotage”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-A-B-O-T-A-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkæbətɪd͡ʒ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.