cannibalism

/ˈkanɪbəlɪz(ə)m/

//ˈkanɪbəlɪz(ə)m// noun

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

"cannibalism" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cannibalism” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,477. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,477
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of eating another of one's own species.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cannibalism · cannibalism · English

cannibalism · rank #28,477 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,477
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH candlelight

Nearest frequency peer: candlelight (-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 “cannibalism”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cannibalism” 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 cannibalism
PropertyValue
Headwordcannibalism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkanɪbəlɪz(ə)m/
Letters11
Frequency rank#28,477
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cannibalism”

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).cannibalismlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “candlelight” (#28,476), “canoes” (#28,478), “Cabot” (#28,475). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cannibalism” is #28,477. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around cannibalism (IPA /ˈkanɪbəlɪz(ə)m/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,477 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for cannibalism, with forms such as "acnnibalism", "canibalism", and "caninbalism". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From cannibal + -ism. The correct English form is cannibalism, spelled C-A-N-N-I-B-A-L-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of eating another of one's own species.
  2. 2
    An act in which one thing consumes or takes over another of the same kind.
  3. 3
    In speech, the occurrence of one word eliding part or all of the next word, because the syllables are the same.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Cannibalism does not openly figure amongst aboriginal misdeeds, but in the northern part of Queensland it is no uncommon vice.
  2. Evidence for cannibalism abounds - even if circumstantial - both from the modern world and throughout history, but academic anthropology has found itself in a funk of denial. […] Considered globally, cannibalism should be less a moral issue than one of custom. I like Marmite, but then I have been raised on the stuff.

Etymology

From cannibal + -ism.

This word in other languages

antropofagia(Español)cannibalisme(Français)Kannibalismus(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acnnibalism
  • canibalism
  • caninbalism
  • cannbialism
  • canniablism
  • cannibailsm
  • cannibalims
  • cannibalismm
  • cannibalissm
  • canniballism
  • cannibalsim
  • cannibbalism
  • canniblaism
  • ccannibalism
  • cnanibalism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acnnibalism2canibalism1caninbalism2cannbialism2canniablism2cannibailsm2cannibalims2cannibalismm1
Edit distance from "cannibalism"

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 "cannibalism"?
"cannibalism" is spelled C-A-N-N-I-B-A-L-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkanɪbəlɪz(ə)m/.
What does "cannibalism" mean?
As a noun, "cannibalism" means: The act of eating another of one's own species.
What are common misspellings of "cannibalism"?
Common misspellings include "acnnibalism", "canibalism", "caninbalism", "cannbialism", "canniablism". The correct spelling is "cannibalism".
How do you pronounce "cannibalism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cannibalism" is /ˈkanɪbəlɪz(ə)m/. 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 "cannibalism"?
From cannibal + -ism. 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 "cannibalism", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

candlelight#28,476tranquility#28,405hibernation#28,580Pleistocene#28,672

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

Babylonian15 variantscoloration15 variantsambivalent15 variantseucalyptus15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list