camera

/ˈkæm.ə.ɹə/

//ˈkæm.ə.ɹə// noun

"camera" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“camera” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,417 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,417
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A device for taking still or moving pictures or photographs.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

camera vs Cara
50% similar
camera vs cater
67% similar
camera vs caper
67% similar

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

Key facts for camera
PropertyValue
Headwordcamera
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæm.ə.ɹə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,417
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “camera” 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). camera 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 camera is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkæm.ə.ɹə/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,417 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for camera, with forms such as "acmera", "caemra", and "camear". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Cara", "cater", "caper", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin camera (“chamber or bedchamber”), from Ancient Greek καμάρα (kamára, “anything with an arched cover, a covered carriage or boat, a vaulted chamber, a vault”), of Old Iranian origin, from Proto-Iranian *kamarā- (“something curved… The correct English form is camera, spelled C-A-M-E-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device for taking still or moving pictures or photographs.
  2. 2
    The viewpoint in a three-dimensional game or simulation.
  3. 3
    A vaulted room.
  4. 4
    A judge's private chamber, where cases may be heard in camera.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin camera (“chamber or bedchamber”), from Ancient Greek καμάρα (kamára, “anything with an arched cover, a covered carriage or boat, a vaulted chamber, a vault”), of Old Iranian origin, from Proto-Iranian *kamarā- (“something curved”), from *kamárati, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kmárati, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em- (“to bend, curve”). Doublet of chamber. (device): A clipping of camera obscura, from New Latin camera obscura (“dark chamber”), because the first cameras used a pinhole and a dark room.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acmera,caemra,camear,camerra,cammera,camrea,ccamera,cmaera

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of camera - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

acmera2caemra2camear2camerra1cammera1camrea2ccamera1cmaera2
Edit distance from "camera"

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 "camera"?
"camera" is spelled C-A-M-E-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæm.ə.ɹə/.
What does "camera" mean?
As a noun, "camera" means: A device for taking still or moving pictures or photographs.
What words are commonly confused with "camera"?
"camera" is commonly confused with "Cara", "cater", "caper". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "camera"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "camera" is /ˈkæm.ə.ɹə/. 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 "camera"?
Learned borrowing from Latin camera (“chamber or bedchamber”), from Ancient Greek καμάρα (kamára, “anything with an arched cover, a covered carriage or boat, a vaulted chamber, a vault”), of Old Iranian origin, from Proto-Iranian *kamarā- (“someth... 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 “camera”

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

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