carer

/ˈkɛəɹə/

//ˈkɛəɹə// noun

"carer" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“carer” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,420 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#34,420
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone who regularly looks after another person, either as a job or often through family responsibilities.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

carer vs case
60% similar
carer vs cars
60% similar
carer vs core
60% similar

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

Key facts for carer
PropertyValue
Headwordcarer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɛəɹə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#34,420
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “carer” 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). carer 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 carer is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɛəɹə/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,420 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Someone who regularly looks after another person, either as a job or often through family responsibilities.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for carer, with forms such as "acrer", "caerr", and "carerr". 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, "case", "cars", "core", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From care + -er. The correct English form is carer, spelled C-A-R-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who regularly looks after another person, either as a job or often through family responsibilities.

Etymology

From care + -er.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acrer,caerr,carerr,carrer,ccarer,craer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of carer - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

acrer2caerr2carerr1carrer1ccarer1craer2
Edit distance from "carer"

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 "carer"?
"carer" is spelled C-A-R-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɛəɹə/.
What does "carer" mean?
As a noun, "carer" means: Someone who regularly looks after another person, either as a job or often through family responsibilities.
What words are commonly confused with "carer"?
"carer" is commonly confused with "case", "cars", "core". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "carer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "carer" is /ˈkɛəɹə/. 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 "carer"?
From care + -er. 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 “carer”

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

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