careen
/kəˈɹiːn/
"careen" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“careen” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To heave a ship down on one side so as to expose the other, in order to clean it of barnacles and weed, or to repair it below the water line.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | careen |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /kəˈɹiːn/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “careen” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for careen is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəˈɹiːn/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for careen, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. 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: First attested in the late 16th century, from French carène (“keel”), from Italian carena, from Latin carīna (“keel of a ship”). Doublet of carene and carina. The correct English form is careen, spelled C-A-R-E-E-N.
Definition
- 1To heave a ship down on one side so as to expose the other, in order to clean it of barnacles and weed, or to repair it below the water line.
- 2To tilt on one side.
- 3To lurch or sway violently from side to side.
- 4To tilt or lean while in motion.
- 5To career, to move rapidly straight ahead, to rush carelessly.
- 6To move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way.
Etymology
First attested in the late 16th century, from French carène (“keel”), from Italian carena, from Latin carīna (“keel of a ship”). Doublet of carene and carina.
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 "careen"?
What does "careen" mean?
How do you pronounce "careen"?
What is the origin of the word "careen"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “careen”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-A-R-E-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /kəˈɹiːn/ (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.