caravanserai
ca·ra·van·ser·ai/ˌkɛɹəˈvænsəˌɹaɪ/noun
caravanserai is spelled C-A-R-A-V-A-N-S-E-R-A-I: 12 letters and 5 syllables (ca·ra·van·ser·ai). It appears about once in every 23 million words in written English, the 145,125th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, caravanserai means “A roadside inn, usually having a central courtyard where caravans (see sense 3) can rest, providing accommodation for travellers along trade routes…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of caravanserai is caravanserais.
How many letters and syllables are in caravanserai?
| Letters | 12: C-A-R-A-V-A-N-S-E-R-A-I |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5: ca·ra·van·ser·ai |
| In writing | about once in every 23 million words; the 145,125th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is caravanserai?
Caravanserai appears about once in every 23 million words in written English, the 145,125th 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 caravanserai?
- UK /ˌkæɹəˈvænsəɹaɪ/
- US /ˌkɛɹəˈvænsəˌɹaɪ/
Caravanserai has 5 syllables, split ca·ra·van·ser·ai in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-caravanserai.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of caravanserai
- caravanserais plural
- caravansarai
- caravanseray
- caravansaray
- caravansary
- caravansery
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does caravanserai mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A roadside inn, usually having a central courtyard where caravans (see sense 3) can rest, providing accommodation for travellers along trade routes in Asia and North Africa.
- 2
A place resembling a caravanserai (sense 1) as being a place for resting temporarily, or a meeting place (especially one that is busy, or where people of different cultures encounter each other).
- 3
Synonym of caravan (“a convoy of travellers, their cargo and vehicles, and pack animals”).
- 4
archaicA hostelry, an inn; also (humorous), an (upscale) hotel.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Caravanserai in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense roadside inn usually having a central courtyard where caravans can rest:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | caravansérail |
| German | Karawanserei |
| Portuguese | caravançarai, caravançará, caravancerá |
| Spanish | caravasar, caravansaray |
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.