cap

/kæp/

//kæp// noun

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

"cap" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cap” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #2,929) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#2,929
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A close-fitting hat, either brimless or peaked.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cap · cap · English

cap · rank #2,929 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,929
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH campus

Nearest frequency peer: campus (-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.

Frequency neighbours of confusable “cap”

Peers at similar corpus weight, separate from look-alike pairs below

corpus weight

What this shows Bars place “cap” against nearest ranked English headwords, not a reprint of the confusable-pair desk.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cap vs co
33% similar
cap vs CD
0% similar
cap vs CM
0% similar

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

Key facts for cap
PropertyValue
Headwordcap
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kæp/
Letters3
Frequency rank#2,929
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Corpus rank beside confusables of “cap”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “campus” (#2,928), “chances” (#2,930), “aim” (#2,927). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cap” is #2,929. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for cap is neighbouring look-alikes ("co", "CD", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /kæp/. Frequency #2,929 among 5,599 “C” headwords. 22 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for cap, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "co", "CD", "CM", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English cappe, from Old English cæppe, from Proto-West Germanic *kappā (“covering, hood, mantle”), from Late Latin cappa, itself from Latin caput. Doublet of cape, chape, and cope. The correct English form is cap, spelled C-A-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A close-fitting hat, either brimless or peaked.
  2. 2
    A special hat to indicate rank, occupation, etc.
  3. 3
    An academic mortarboard.
  4. 4
    A protective cover or seal.
  5. 5
    A crown for covering a tooth.
  6. 6
    The summit of a mountain, etc.
  7. 7
    An artificial upper limit or ceiling.
  8. 8
    The top part of a mushroom.
  9. 9
    A small amount of percussive explosive in a paper strip or plastic cup for use in a toy gun.
  10. 10
    A small explosive device used to detonate a larger charge of explosives.
  11. 11
    A bullet used to shoot someone.
  12. 12
    A lie or exaggeration.
  13. 13
    A place on a national team; an international appearance.
  14. 14
    The top, or uppermost part; the chief.
  15. 15
    A respectful uncovering of the head.
  16. 16
    The whole top of the head of a bird from the base of the bill to the nape of the neck.
  17. 17
    The uppermost of any assemblage of parts.
  18. 18
    Something covering the top or end of a thing for protection or ornament.
  19. 19
    A collar of iron or wood used in joining spars, as the mast and the topmast, the bowsprit and the jib boom; also, a covering of tarred canvas at the end of a rope.
  20. 20
    A portion of a spherical or other convex surface.
  21. 21
    A large size of writing paper.
  22. 22
    Popcorn.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The children were all wearing caps to protect them from the sun.
  2. That elf-maiden smote with her hand so white, “Sorrow and sickness on thee alight” That elf-maiden smote with her cap so small, “No more shall priest's benison on thee fall!”

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English cappe, from Old English cæppe, from Proto-West Germanic *kappā (“covering, hood, mantle”), from Late Latin cappa, itself from Latin caput. Doublet of cape, chape, and cope.

This word in other languages

gorro(Español)bonnet(Français)Mütze(Deutsch)boné(Português)

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 "cap"?
"cap" is spelled C-A-P. The IPA pronunciation is /kæp/.
What does "cap" mean?
As a noun, "cap" means: A close-fitting hat, either brimless or peaked.
What words are commonly confused with "cap"?
"cap" is commonly confused with "co", "CD", "CM". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cap"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cap" is /kæp/. 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 "cap"?
Inherited from Middle English cappe, from Old English cæppe, from Proto-West Germanic *kappā (“covering, hood, mantle”), from Late Latin cappa, itself from Latin caput. Doublet of cape, chape, and cope. 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 "cap", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

aim#2,927dan#2,938fed#2,946fee#2,947

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list