Canterbury

/ˈkæntəɹbəɹi/

//ˈkæntəɹbəɹi// name

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

"canterbury" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Canterbury” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,505. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,505
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A cathedral city in Kent, England (OS grid ref TR1457).

Key facts for Canterbury
PropertyValue
HeadwordCanterbury
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈkæntəɹbəɹi/
Letters10
Frequency rank#10,505
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Canterbury” 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). Canterbury lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around Canterbury (IPA /ˈkæntəɹbəɹi/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #10,505 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for Canterbury, with forms such as "acnterbury", "canetrbury", and "cannterbury". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English Caunterbury, Canterburi, from Old English Cantwara burg. The correct English form is Canterbury, spelled C-A-N-T-E-R-B-U-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A cathedral city in Kent, England (OS grid ref TR1457).
  2. 2
    A local government district with borough status in Kent, England, the City of Canterbury, formed in 1974, with its headquarters in the city itself.
  3. 3
    The episcopal see of Canterbury or the occupant thereof (the full title used for the archbishop).
  4. 4
    The Anglican Communion.
  5. 5
    A suburb of Sydney in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia.
  6. 6
    A small settlement in the Shire of Barcoo, Queensland, Australia.
  7. 7
    A suburb of Melbourne in the City of Boroondara, Victoria, Australia.
  8. 8
    A village and parish of York County, New Brunswick, Canada.
  9. 9
    A suburb of Montego Bay, Jamaica.
  10. 10
    A region in the South Island, New Zealand.
  11. 11
    A locality in the United States.
  12. 12
    A locality in the United States.
  13. 13
    A locality in the United States.
  14. 14
    A locality in the United States.

Etymology

From Middle English Caunterbury, Canterburi, from Old English Cantwara burg.

This word in other languages

Canterbury(Español)Cantorbéry(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acnterbury
  • canetrbury
  • cannterbury
  • cantebrury
  • canterbbury
  • canterbruy
  • canterburry
  • canterburyy
  • canterbuyr
  • canterrbury
  • canterubry
  • cantrebury
  • cantterbury
  • catnerbury
  • ccanterbury
  • cnaterbury

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acnterbury2canetrbury2cannterbury1cantebrury2canterbbury1canterbruy2canterburry1canterburyy1
Edit distance from "Canterbury"

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 "Canterbury"?
"Canterbury" is spelled C-A-N-T-E-R-B-U-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæntəɹbəɹi/.
What does "Canterbury" mean?
As a proper noun, "Canterbury" means: A cathedral city in Kent, England (OS grid ref TR1457).
What are common misspellings of "Canterbury"?
Common misspellings include "acnterbury", "canetrbury", "cannterbury", "cantebrury", "canterbbury". The correct spelling is "Canterbury".
How do you pronounce "Canterbury"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Canterbury" is /ˈkæntəɹbəɹi/. 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 "Canterbury"?
From Middle English Caunterbury, Canterburi, from Old English Cantwara burg. 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 “Canterbury”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-N-T-E-R-B-U-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkæntəɹbəɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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