Caribbean

/ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/

//ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən// adj

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

"caribbean" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Caribbean” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,862. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,862
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pertaining to the sea and region of the western Atlantic bounded by South America, Central America, and the islands of the West Indies (such as Cuba and Hispaniola).

Corpus desk

Index EN-caribbean · Caribbean · English

Caribbean · rank #5,862 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,862
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH brad

Nearest frequency peer: brad (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “Caribbean”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “Caribbean” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Caribbean
PropertyValue
HeadwordCaribbean
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#5,862
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Caribbean”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).Caribbeanlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “brad” (#5,861), “charm” (#5,863), “blocking” (#5,860). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “Caribbean” is #5,862. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around Caribbean (IPA /ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #5,862 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Pertaining to the sea and region of the western Atlantic bounded by South America, Central America, and the islands of the West Indies (such as Cuba and Hispaniola).".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Caribbean, with forms such as "acribbean", "cairbbean", and "carbibean". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Carib or Caribe, a people who lived in the West Indies, + -an. The correct English form is Caribbean, spelled C-A-R-I-B-B-E-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pertaining to the sea and region of the western Atlantic bounded by South America, Central America, and the islands of the West Indies (such as Cuba and Hispaniola).

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how Caribbean appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Among those seeking the Caribbean nation’s highest office on May 19 are the current president, a former president, and a mayor.

Etymology

From Carib or Caribe, a people who lived in the West Indies, + -an.

This word in other languages

caribe(Español)caraïbe(Français)karibisch(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acribbean
  • cairbbean
  • carbibean
  • caribbaen
  • caribbeann
  • caribbena
  • caribean
  • caribeban
  • carribbean
  • ccaribbean
  • craibbean

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Caribbean - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

acribbean2cairbbean2carbibean2caribbaen2caribbeann1caribbena2caribean1caribeban2
Edit distance from "Caribbean"

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 "Caribbean"?
"Caribbean" is spelled C-A-R-I-B-B-E-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/.
What does "Caribbean" mean?
As an adjective, "Caribbean" means: Pertaining to the sea and region of the western Atlantic bounded by South America, Central America, and the islands of the West Indies (such as Cuba and Hispaniola).
What are common misspellings of "Caribbean"?
Common misspellings include "acribbean", "cairbbean", "carbibean", "caribbaen", "caribbeann". The correct spelling is "Caribbean".
How do you pronounce "Caribbean"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Caribbean" is /ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/. 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 "Caribbean"?
From Carib or Caribe, a people who lived in the West Indies, + -an. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Caribbean", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

electoral#5,878excessive#5,881exercises#5,882governing#5,884

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

chasing11 variantsdeadline11 variantswashing11 variantsjewelry11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list