carburetor
/ˈkɑːb(j)əˌɹɛtə/
"carburetor" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“carburetor” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,062 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #36,062
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A device in an internal combustion engine where fuel is vaporized and mixed with air prior to ignition.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | carburetor |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkɑːb(j)əˌɹɛtə/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #36,062 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “carburetor” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for carburetor is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɑːb(j)əˌɹɛtə/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,062 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for carburetor, with forms such as "acrburetor", "cabruretor", and "carbburetor". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Attested from 1862, from carburet (“enrich an illuminating gas with carbon-rich fuel”) + -or. The motor vehicle sense is attested since 1896 The correct English form is carburetor, spelled C-A-R-B-U-R-E-T-O-R.
Definition
- 1A device in an internal combustion engine where fuel is vaporized and mixed with air prior to ignition.
- 2A device for enhancing illuminating gas by mixing in carbon-rich fuel.
- 3A water pipe or bong; a device or contrivance for mixing air with burning cannabis or cocaine.
Etymology
Attested from 1862, from carburet (“enrich an illuminating gas with carbon-rich fuel”) + -or. The motor vehicle sense is attested since 1896
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: acrburetor,cabruretor,carbburetor,carbruetor,carbuertor,carbureotr,carburetorr,carburetro,carburettor,carburretor,carburteor,carrburetor,carubretor,ccarburetor,craburetor
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of carburetor - 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.
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 "carburetor"?
What does "carburetor" mean?
What are common misspellings of "carburetor"?
How do you pronounce "carburetor"?
What is the origin of the word "carburetor"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “carburetor”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-A-R-B-U-R-E-T-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɑːb(j)əˌɹɛtə/ (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.