caravanserai
/ˌkæɹəˈvænsəɹaɪ/
"caravanserai" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“caravanserai” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | caravanserai |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌkæɹəˈvænsəɹaɪ/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “caravanserai” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
caravanserai is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌkæɹəˈvænsəɹaɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for caravanserai, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed either: * from Middle French carvansera, carvassera (modern French caravansérail, carauanserrail (obsolete), caravansara (obsolete)); or * directly from its etymon Ottoman Turkish كاروانسَرای (karvanseray), كَروانسَرای (kervanseray) (modern Turkish… The correct English form is caravanserai, spelled C-A-R-A-V-A-N-S-E-R-A-I.
Definition
- 1A 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.
- 2A 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).
- 3Synonym of caravan (“a convoy of travellers, their cargo and vehicles, and pack animals”).
- 4A hostelry, an inn; also (humorous), an (upscale) hotel.
Etymology
Borrowed either: * from Middle French carvansera, carvassera (modern French caravansérail, carauanserrail (obsolete), caravansara (obsolete)); or * directly from its etymon Ottoman Turkish كاروانسَرای (karvanseray), كَروانسَرای (kervanseray) (modern Turkish kervansaray), from Old Anatolian Turkish [script needed] (kārvān-serā); or * directly from its etymon Persian کاروانسرای (kârvânsarây), from کاروان (kârvân, “caravan; convoy”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“army”)) + سرای (sarây, “courtyard, hall; dwelling, house; inn; mansion, palace”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *terh₂- (“to cross over; to pass through; to overcome”). Cognates * Dutch karavanserai, carewansera (obsolete) * German Karawanserei, Caravansera (obsolete) * Italian caravanserraglio, carvasarà (obsolete), carvanserà (obsolete) * Portuguese caravançará, caravançarai * Spanish caravasar
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "caravanserai"?
What does "caravanserai" mean?
How do you pronounce "caravanserai"?
What is the origin of the word "caravanserai"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “caravanserai”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-A-R-A-V-A-N-S-E-R-A-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌkæɹəˈvænsəɹaɪ/ (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
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.