calypso

/kəˈlɪp.səʊ/

//kəˈlɪp.səʊ// noun

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

"calypso" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“calypso” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,416. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,416
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to the mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela by the mid-20th century.

Corpus desk

Index EN-calypso · calypso · English

calypso · rank #34,416 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,416
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH capacitance

Nearest frequency peer: capacitance (+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 “calypso”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “calypso” 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 calypso
PropertyValue
Headwordcalypso
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəˈlɪp.səʊ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#34,416
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “calypso”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).calypsolands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “capacitance” (#34,417), “cacao” (#34,414), “caper” (#34,418). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “calypso” is #34,416. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around calypso (IPA /kəˈlɪp.səʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,416 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for calypso, with forms such as "aclypso", "callypso", and "calpyso". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Originally Trinidad English, an alteration of kaiso, perhaps ultimately of African origin; Allsopp 1996 suggests Ibibio ka iso (“come on”), used to urge dancers on. The spelling reflects a later folk-etymological assimilation with the mythological name Caly… The correct English form is calypso, spelled C-A-L-Y-P-S-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to the mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela by the mid-20th century.
  2. 2
    A song in this style of music.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. 'How you does live, Mr. Wordsworth?' I asked him one day. He said, 'You mean how I get money?' When I nodded, he laughed in a crooked way. He said, 'I sing calypsoes in the calypso season.' 'And that last you the rest of the year?' 'It is enough.'

Etymology

Originally Trinidad English, an alteration of kaiso, perhaps ultimately of African origin; Allsopp 1996 suggests Ibibio ka iso (“come on”), used to urge dancers on. The spelling reflects a later folk-etymological assimilation with the mythological name Calypso.

This word in other languages

calipso(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aclypso
  • callypso
  • calpyso
  • calypos
  • calyppso
  • calypsso
  • calyspo
  • calyypso
  • caylpso
  • ccalypso
  • claypso

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aclypso2callypso1calpyso2calypos2calyppso1calypsso1calyspo2calyypso1
Edit distance from "calypso"

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 "calypso"?
"calypso" is spelled C-A-L-Y-P-S-O. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈlɪp.səʊ/.
What does "calypso" mean?
As a noun, "calypso" means: A style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to the mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela by the mid-20th century.
What are common misspellings of "calypso"?
Common misspellings include "aclypso", "callypso", "calpyso", "calypos", "calyppso". The correct spelling is "calypso".
How do you pronounce "calypso"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "calypso" is /kəˈlɪp.səʊ/. 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 "calypso"?
Originally Trinidad English, an alteration of kaiso, perhaps ultimately of African origin; Allsopp 1996 suggests Ibibio ka iso (“come on”), used to urge dancers on. The spelling reflects a later folk-etymological assimilation with the mythological... 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 "calypso", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

caprice#34,419chagrin#34,427Clapham#34,432backend#34,388

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Bonneville11 variantsbankroll11 variantsarrowhead11 variantsappetizer11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list