carbon

/ˈkɑɹ.bən/

//ˈkɑɹ.bən// noun

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

"carbon" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“carbon” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,717 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,717
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The chemical element (symbol C) with an atomic number of 6. It can be found in pure form for example as graphite, a black, shiny and very soft material, or diamond, a colourless, transparent, cryst...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

carbon vs Caro
50% similar
carbon vs cargo
67% similar
carbon vs carol
67% similar

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

Key facts for carbon
PropertyValue
Headwordcarbon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɑɹ.bən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,717
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “carbon” 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). carbon lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for carbon is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɑɹ.bən/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,717 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for carbon, with forms such as "acrbon", "cabron", and "carbbon". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Caro", "cargo", "carol", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French carbone, coined by Antoine Lavoisier, from Latin carbō, carbōnem (“charcoal, coal”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kerh₃- (“to burn”). By surface analysis, carbo- + -on. The correct English form is carbon, spelled C-A-R-B-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The chemical element (symbol C) with an atomic number of 6. It can be found in pure form for example as graphite, a black, shiny and very soft material, or diamond, a colourless, transparent, crystalline solid and the hardest known material.
  2. 2
    An atom of this element, in reference to a molecule containing it.
  3. 3
    A sheet of carbon paper.
  4. 4
    A carbon copy.
  5. 5
    A fossil fuel that is made of impure carbon such as coal or charcoal.
  6. 6
    Soot.
  7. 7
    Soot.
  8. 8
    Ellipsis of carbon dioxide.
  9. 9
    A carbon rod or pencil used in an arc lamp.
  10. 10
    A plate or piece of carbon used as one of the elements of a voltaic battery.
  11. 11
    Ellipsis of carbon fiber (reinforced polymer).

Etymology

Borrowed from French carbone, coined by Antoine Lavoisier, from Latin carbō, carbōnem (“charcoal, coal”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kerh₃- (“to burn”). By surface analysis, carbo- + -on.

This word in other languages

carbono(Español)carbone(Français)Kohlenstoff(Deutsch)carbono(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acrbon,cabron,carbbon,carbno,carbonn,carobn,carrbon,ccarbon,crabon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of carbon - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

acrbon2cabron2carbbon1carbno2carbonn1carobn2carrbon1ccarbon1
Edit distance from "carbon"

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 "carbon"?
"carbon" is spelled C-A-R-B-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɑɹ.bən/.
What does "carbon" mean?
As a noun, "carbon" means: The chemical element (symbol C) with an atomic number of 6. It can be found in pure form for example as graphite, a black, shiny and very soft material, or diamond, a colourless, transparent, cryst...
What words are commonly confused with "carbon"?
"carbon" is commonly confused with "Caro", "cargo", "carol". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "carbon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "carbon" is /ˈkɑɹ.bən/. 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 "carbon"?
Borrowed from French carbone, coined by Antoine Lavoisier, from Latin carbō, carbōnem (“charcoal, coal”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kerh₃- (“to burn”). By surface analysis, carbo- + -on. 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 “carbon”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-R-B-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɑɹ.bən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Caro” - see the side-by-side comparison. carbon vs Caro
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list