caries

/ˈkɛə.ɹiːz/

//ˈkɛə.ɹiːz// noun

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

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

The verdict

“caries” is uncommon English (frequency #51,012 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,012
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The progressive destruction of bone or tooth by decay.

Key facts for caries
PropertyValue
Headwordcaries
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɛə.ɹiːz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#51,012
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “caries” 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). caries lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

caries is uncommon English at frequency #51,012 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɛə.ɹiːz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for caries in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin cariēs. The correct English form is caries, spelled C-A-R-I-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The progressive destruction of bone or tooth by decay.
  2. 2
    The progressive destruction of bone or tooth by decay.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cariēs.

This word in other languages

caries(Español)carie(Français)Karies(Deutsch)cárie(Português)

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 "caries"?
"caries" is spelled C-A-R-I-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɛə.ɹiːz/.
What does "caries" mean?
As a noun, "caries" means: The progressive destruction of bone or tooth by decay.
How do you pronounce "caries"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "caries" is /ˈkɛə.ɹiːz/. 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 "caries"?
Borrowed from Latin cariēs. 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 “caries”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-R-I-E-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɛə.ɹiːz/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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