cakewalk
/ˈkeɪk.wɔk/noun, verb
cakewalk is spelled C-A-K-E-W-A-L-K: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 54,808th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, cakewalk means “A contest in which cake was offered for the best dancers” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of cakewalk is cakewalks.
How many letters and syllables are in cakewalk?
| Letters | 8: C-A-K-E-W-A-L-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 54,808th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is cakewalk?
Cakewalk appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 54,808th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce cakewalk?
- US /ˈkeɪk.wɔk/
Cakewalk has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-cakewalk.ogg, En-au-cakewalk.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with cakewalk
Also written: cake-walk (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of cakewalk
- cakewalks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- cakewalking participle, present
- cakewalked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does cakewalk mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A contest in which cake was offered for the best dancers.
- 2
The style of music associated with such a contest.
- 3
The dance, or strutting style of dance, associated with such a contest.
- 4
informalSomething that is easy or simple, or that does not present a great challenge.
verb
- 1
To perform the cakewalk dance.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Cakewalk in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense something easy:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | pera doce |
| Spanish | chanfa, pan comido, bolado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does cakewalk come from?
From cake + walk. Originally an African-American form of dance and music that developed after the Civil War, later popularised by minstrel shows. It was danced at social events, with the best dancers often receiving cake as a prize. It derives from dance competitions by plantation slaves in which the style of dance lampooned the ballroom dances of the slaveowners. Slaveowners seem to have found the competitions entertaining and the habit of offering cake may originate from this period. The name is sometimes also applied to the dance's precursor on the plantations.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).