cafeteria

/ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə/

//ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə// noun

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

"cafeteria" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cafeteria” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,188. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,188
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cafeteria · cafeteria · English

cafeteria · rank #16,188 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,188
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH busting

Nearest frequency peer: busting (-1 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 “cafeteria”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cafeteria” 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
Key facts for cafeteria
PropertyValue
Headwordcafeteria
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#16,188
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cafeteria”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “busting” (#16,187), “canary” (#16,189), “burglary” (#16,186). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cafeteria” is #16,188. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around cafeteria (IPA /ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,188 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for cafeteria, with forms such as "acfeteria", "caefteria", and "cafeetria". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Mexican Spanish cafetería (“coffeehouse”), from cafetera (“coffee maker”), from French cafetière, from café, from Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve) (Turkish kahve), from Arabic قَهْوَة (qahwa, “coffee”). Doublet of cafetière. The correct English form is cafeteria, spelled C-A-F-E-T-E-R-I-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.
  2. 2
    A dining area in an institution where meals may be purchased (as above), provided, or brought in from elsewhere.

Etymology

Borrowed from Mexican Spanish cafetería (“coffeehouse”), from cafetera (“coffee maker”), from French cafetière, from café, from Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve) (Turkish kahve), from Arabic قَهْوَة (qahwa, “coffee”). Doublet of cafetière.

Synonyms

lunchroomcanteen

This word in other languages

cafetería(Español)cafétéria(Français)Cafeteria(Deutsch)cantina(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acfeteria
  • caefteria
  • cafeetria
  • cafeteira
  • cafeterai
  • cafeterria
  • cafetreia
  • cafetteria
  • caffeteria
  • cafteeria
  • ccafeteria
  • cfaeteria

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cafeteria - 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.

acfeteria2caefteria2cafeetria2cafeteira2cafeterai2cafeterria1cafetreia2cafetteria1
Edit distance from "cafeteria"

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 "cafeteria"?
"cafeteria" is spelled C-A-F-E-T-E-R-I-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə/.
What does "cafeteria" mean?
As a noun, "cafeteria" means: A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.
What are common misspellings of "cafeteria"?
Common misspellings include "acfeteria", "caefteria", "cafeetria", "cafeteira", "cafeterai". The correct spelling is "cafeteria".
How do you pronounce "cafeteria"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cafeteria" is /ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə/. 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 "cafeteria"?
Borrowed from Mexican Spanish cafetería (“coffeehouse”), from cafetera (“coffee maker”), from French cafetière, from café, from Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve) (Turkish kahve), from Arabic قَهْوَة (qahwa, “coffee”). Doublet of cafetière. 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 "cafeteria", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

blindness#16,183Caucasian#16,194blackmail#16,181composing#16,201

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

ceramics12 variantscupboard12 variantsworkload12 variantsdepended12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list