cafeteria
/ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə/
"cafeteria" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cafeteria” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,188 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #16,188
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 12
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cafeteria |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #16,188 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “cafeteria” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for cafeteria is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,188 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.
- 2A 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.
This word in other languages
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.
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"?
What does "cafeteria" mean?
What are common misspellings of "cafeteria"?
How do you pronounce "cafeteria"?
What is the origin of the word "cafeteria"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “cafeteria”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-A-F-E-T-E-R-I-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə/ (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.