capybara

/kapɪˈbɑːɹə/

//kapɪˈbɑːɹə// noun

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

"capybara" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“capybara” is uncommon English (frequency #79,359 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,359
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large semi-aquatic South American rodent of the genus Hydrochoerus.

Key facts for capybara
PropertyValue
Headwordcapybara
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kapɪˈbɑːɹə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#79,359
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “capybara” 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). capybara lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

capybara is uncommon English at frequency #79,359 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /kapɪˈbɑːɹə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for capybara, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Spanish capibara, from Portuguese capivara, from Old Tupi kapi'iûara (literally “grass eater”). The correct English form is capybara, spelled C-A-P-Y-B-A-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large semi-aquatic South American rodent of the genus Hydrochoerus.
  2. 2
    The greater capybara.

Etymology

From Spanish capibara, from Portuguese capivara, from Old Tupi kapi'iûara (literally “grass eater”).

This word in other languages

capibara(Español)capybara(Français)Capybara(Deutsch)capivara(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 "capybara"?
"capybara" is spelled C-A-P-Y-B-A-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is /kapɪˈbɑːɹə/.
What does "capybara" mean?
As a noun, "capybara" means: A large semi-aquatic South American rodent of the genus Hydrochoerus.
How do you pronounce "capybara"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "capybara" is /kapɪˈbɑːɹə/. 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 "capybara"?
From Spanish capibara, from Portuguese capivara, from Old Tupi kapi'iûara (literally “grass eater”). 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 “capybara”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-P-Y-B-A-R-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kapɪˈbɑːɹə/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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