caravan
/ˈkæɹəvæn/noun, verb
caravan is spelled C-A-R-A-V-A-N: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 4.2 times per million words in written English, the 12,578th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, caravan means “A convoy or procession of travellers, their cargo and vehicles, and any pack animals, especially camels crossing a desert” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of caravan is caravans.
How many letters and syllables are in caravan?
| Letters | 7: C-A-R-A-V-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.2 times per million words; the 12,578th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is caravan?
Caravan appears 4.2 times per million words in written English, the 12,578th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce caravan?
- /ˈkæɹəvæn/
- /ˈkɛɹəvæn/
- /ˈkaɾəvan/
Caravan has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: EN-AU_ck1_caravan.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-caravan.wav, En-us-caravan.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of caravan
- caravans plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- caravanning participle, present
- caravaning participle, present
- caravanned participle, past
- caravaned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does caravan mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A convoy or procession of travellers, their cargo and vehicles, and any pack animals, especially camels crossing a desert.
- 2
AustraliaUKA furnished vehicle towed behind a car, etc., and used as a dwelling when stationary.
- 3
A group of camels, especially when used as beasts of burden carrying people and merchandise.
verb
- 1
To travel in a caravan (procession).
The wedding party got in their cars and caravaned from the chapel to the reception hall.
- 2
AustraliaUKTo travel and/or live in a caravan (vehicle).
When my parents retired they really got back into caravanning.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Caravan in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | caravane , roulotte |
| German | Karawane , Wohnwagen, Caravan |
| Portuguese | caravana, cáfila , trailer, rulote, roulotte |
| Spanish | caravana, cáfila |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does caravan come from?
From Middle French caravane, from Old French carvane, from Persian کاروان (kârvân), from Middle Persian kʾlwʾn' (kārawān), from Old Persian 𐎣𐎠𐎼 (k-a-r, “people, subjects”). The word was used to designate a group of people who were travelling by camel or horse on the Silk Road. Doublet of Kairouan.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).