Cambridge

/ˈkeɪm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈkeɪm.bɹɪd͡ʒ// name

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

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

The verdict

“Cambridge” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,675 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#3,675
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A city and local government district with borough status of Cambridgeshire, England, famous for its university.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Cambridge vs cartridge
67% similar

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

Key facts for Cambridge
PropertyValue
HeadwordCambridge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈkeɪm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,675
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Cambridge” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for Cambridge is 9 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkeɪm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,675 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for Cambridge, with forms such as "acmbridge", "cabmridge", and "cambbridge". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "cartridge", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English Cantebrigge, Grentebrige, from Old English Grante bryċġ, Granta-briċġ, Grantanbryċġ (“Granta bridge”). The river name Granta is probably of Celtic origin. By Middle English when the name of the settlement had changed to "Cantebrigge" and… The correct English form is Cambridge, spelled C-A-M-B-R-I-D-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A city and local government district with borough status of Cambridgeshire, England, famous for its university.
  2. 2
    Ellipsis of University of Cambridge.
  3. 3
    A village in Slimbridge parish, Stroud district, Gloucestershire, England, situated on the local River Cam (OS grid ref SO7403).
  4. 4
    A city in Washington County, Idaho, United States.
  5. 5
    A village, the county seat of Henry County, Illinois, United States.
  6. 6
    A city, the county seat of Dorchester County, Maryland, United States.
  7. 7
    A city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, famous for being the location of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was formerly one of the county seats.
  8. 8
    A city, the county seat of Isanti County, Minnesota, United States.
  9. 9
    A city, the county seat of Guernsey County, Ohio, United States.
  10. 10
    A town and village in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States.
  11. 11
    A city in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
  12. 12
    A local government area (the Town of Cambridge) in Perth, Western Australia.
  13. 13
    A suburb of the City of Clarence, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
  14. 14
    A town in Waikato, New Zealand.
  15. 15
    A royal dukedom.

Etymology

From Middle English Cantebrigge, Grentebrige, from Old English Grante bryċġ, Granta-briċġ, Grantanbryċġ (“Granta bridge”). The river name Granta is probably of Celtic origin. By Middle English when the name of the settlement had changed to "Cantebrigge" and eventually "Cambridge", the lower stretches of the River Granta were renamed Cam by back-formation from Cambridge.

This word in other languages

Cambridge(Español)Cambridge(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acmbridge,cabmridge,cambbridge,cambirdge,cambrdige,cambriddge,cambrideg,cambridgge,cambrigde,cambrridge,cammbridge,camrbidge,ccambridge,cmabridge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acmbridge2cabmridge2cambbridge1cambirdge2cambrdige2cambriddge1cambrideg2cambridgge1
Edit distance from "Cambridge"

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 "Cambridge"?
"Cambridge" is spelled C-A-M-B-R-I-D-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkeɪm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "Cambridge" mean?
As a proper noun, "Cambridge" means: A city and local government district with borough status of Cambridgeshire, England, famous for its university.
What words are commonly confused with "Cambridge"?
"Cambridge" is commonly confused with "cartridge". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Cambridge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Cambridge" is /ˈkeɪm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "Cambridge"?
From Middle English Cantebrigge, Grentebrige, from Old English Grante bryċġ, Granta-briċġ, Grantanbryċġ (“Granta bridge”). The river name Granta is probably of Celtic origin. By Middle English when the name of the settlement had changed to "Canteb... 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.

Using “Cambridge”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-M-B-R-I-D-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkeɪm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “cartridge” - see the side-by-side comparison. Cambridge vs cartridge
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list