caddy

/ˈkædi/

//ˈkædi// noun

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

"caddy" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“caddy” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,351. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,351
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small box or tin (can) with a lid for holding dried tea leaves used to brew tea.

Corpus desk

Index EN-caddy · caddy · English

caddy · rank #30,351 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,351
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Burundi

Nearest frequency peer: Burundi (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “caddy”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “caddy” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

caddy vs cay
60% similar
caddy vs card
60% similar
caddy vs Cody
40% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for caddy
PropertyValue
Headwordcaddy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkædi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#30,351
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “caddy”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Burundi” (#30,349), “Caledonian” (#30,353), “bunches” (#30,348). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “caddy” is #30,351. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around caddy (IPA /ˈkædi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #30,351 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for caddy, with forms such as "acddy", "caddyy", and "cady". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cay", "card", "Cody", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: An alteration of catty (“(unit of) weight used in China, equivalent to 1⅓ pounds avoirdupois (about 0.605 kilograms)”), borrowed from Malay kati (“weight used in China, Indonesia, and Japan”), from Tamil கட்டி (kaṭṭi, “measure of weight; clod, lump”), from … The correct English form is caddy, spelled C-A-D-D-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small box or tin (can) with a lid for holding dried tea leaves used to brew tea.
  2. 2
    A (usually small) box, chest, or tin with a lid, and often with partitions, used to keep things in.
  3. 3
    A small lidded bin for food waste.
  4. 4
    A movable tray or other mechanism for holding (sometimes within a piece of equipment or machinery), securing, and transporting a removable component.
  5. 5
    A lightweight wheeled cart; specifically, one attached to a bicycle as a conveyance for a child, or pulled by hand and used to transport groceries away from a shop.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how caddy appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The Carneses imported lacquer teapoys in sets. These sets could be easily stacked in a corner of the drawing room and brought out at teatime to hold a teacup, a set, or a caddy. The Carneses purchased lacquered teapoys sets for four dollars in China and probably sold them for twice that amount in America.
  2. A sauce caddy brought with the tacos offers a choice of salsa cruda, a thin puree of tomatillos, and an emulsion of red chilies.

Etymology

An alteration of catty (“(unit of) weight used in China, equivalent to 1⅓ pounds avoirdupois (about 0.605 kilograms)”), borrowed from Malay kati (“weight used in China, Indonesia, and Japan”), from Tamil கட்டி (kaṭṭi, “measure of weight; clod, lump”), from கட்டு (kaṭṭu, “to coagulate, congeal, or consolidate (into a concretion); to harden”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acddy
  • caddyy
  • cady
  • cadyd
  • ccaddy
  • cdady

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of caddy - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

acddy2caddyy1cady1cadyd2ccaddy1cdady2
Edit distance from "caddy"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "caddy"?
"caddy" is spelled C-A-D-D-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkædi/.
What does "caddy" mean?
As a noun, "caddy" means: A small box or tin (can) with a lid for holding dried tea leaves used to brew tea.
What words are commonly confused with "caddy"?
"caddy" is commonly confused with "cay", "card", "Cody". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "caddy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "caddy" is /ˈkædi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "caddy"?
An alteration of catty (“(unit of) weight used in China, equivalent to 1⅓ pounds avoirdupois (about 0.605 kilograms)”), borrowed from Malay kati (“weight used in China, Indonesia, and Japan”), from Tamil கட்டி (kaṭṭi, “measure of weight; clod, lum... See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "caddy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

chasm#30,360Bondi#30,340Bambi#30,329crass#30,381

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Armin6 variantswaite6 variantstalon6 variantsight6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list