Caleb

/ˈkeɪ.ləb/

//ˈkeɪ.ləb// name

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

The verdict

“Caleb” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,487. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,487
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Caleb the son of Jephunneh, an Israelite who entered Canaan with Joshua.

Corpus desk

Index EN-caleb · Caleb · English

Caleb · rank #14,487 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,487
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Calcutta

Nearest frequency peer: Calcutta (-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 “Caleb”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “Caleb” 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).

Caleb vs care
40% similar
Caleb vs case
40% similar
Caleb vs call
40% similar

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

Key facts for Caleb
PropertyValue
HeadwordCaleb
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈkeɪ.ləb/
Letters5
Frequency rank#14,487
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Caleb”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).Caleblands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Calcutta” (#14,486), “canopy” (#14,488), “Chennai” (#14,489). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “Caleb” is #14,487. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around Caleb (IPA /ˈkeɪ.ləb/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #14,487 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for Caleb, with forms such as "acleb", "caelb", and "calebb". 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, "care", "case", "call", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Latin Caleb, Calebus, from Koine Greek Χάλεβ (Kháleb), from Biblical Hebrew כָּלֵב (Kālēḇ), possibly related to כֶּלֶב (keleḇ, “dog”), referring to the unconditional devotion of dogs to their masters. The correct English form is Caleb, spelled C-A-L-E-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    Caleb the son of Jephunneh, an Israelite who entered Canaan with Joshua.
  2. 2
    A male given name from Hebrew first used by Puritans.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
  2. "My brother's name was Caleb Peck." "What a fine old-fashioned name," said Mrs. Tabor.

Etymology

From Late Latin Caleb, Calebus, from Koine Greek Χάλεβ (Kháleb), from Biblical Hebrew כָּלֵב (Kālēḇ), possibly related to כֶּלֶב (keleḇ, “dog”), referring to the unconditional devotion of dogs to their masters.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acleb
  • caelb
  • calebb
  • calleb
  • ccaleb
  • claeb

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Caleb - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

acleb2caelb2calebb1calleb1ccaleb1claeb2
Edit distance from "Caleb"

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 "Caleb"?
"Caleb" is spelled C-A-L-E-B. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkeɪ.ləb/.
What does "Caleb" mean?
As a proper noun, "Caleb" means: Caleb the son of Jephunneh, an Israelite who entered Canaan with Joshua.
What words are commonly confused with "Caleb"?
"Caleb" is commonly confused with "care", "case", "call". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Caleb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Caleb" is /ˈkeɪ.ləb/. 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 "Caleb"?
From Late Latin Caleb, Calebus, from Koine Greek Χάλεβ (Kháleb), from Biblical Hebrew כָּלֵב (Kālēḇ), possibly related to כֶּלֶב (keleḇ, “dog”), referring to the unconditional devotion of dogs to their masters. 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 "Caleb", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list