carrack

/ˈkæɹək/

//ˈkæɹək// noun

"carrack" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“carrack” is uncommon English (frequency #94,658 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#94,658
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large European sailing vessel of the 14th to 17th centuries similar to a caravel but square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and lateen-rigged on the mizzenmast.

Key facts for carrack
PropertyValue
Headwordcarrack
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæɹək/
Letters7
Frequency rank#94,658
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “carrack” 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). carrack 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

carrack is uncommon English at frequency #94,658 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkæɹək/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A large European sailing vessel of the 14th to 17th centuries similar to a caravel but square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and lateen-rigged on the mizzenmast.".

Zero misspellings are on record for carrack in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French caraque (compare Spanish and Portuguese carraca, Italian caracca), from Latin carraca, from Latin carrus (“wagon”); or perhaps from Arabic قَرَاقِير (qarāqīr). The correct English form is carrack, spelled C-A-R-R-A-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large European sailing vessel of the 14th to 17th centuries similar to a caravel but square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and lateen-rigged on the mizzenmast.

Etymology

From French caraque (compare Spanish and Portuguese carraca, Italian caracca), from Latin carraca, from Latin carrus (“wagon”); or perhaps from Arabic قَرَاقِير (qarāqīr).

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); 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 "carrack"?
"carrack" is spelled C-A-R-R-A-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæɹək/.
What does "carrack" mean?
As a noun, "carrack" means: A large European sailing vessel of the 14th to 17th centuries similar to a caravel but square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and lateen-rigged on the mizzenmast.
How do you pronounce "carrack"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "carrack" is /ˈkæɹək/. 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 "carrack"?
From French caraque (compare Spanish and Portuguese carraca, Italian caracca), from Latin carraca, from Latin carrus (“wagon”); or perhaps from Arabic قَرَاقِير (qarāqīr). 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 “carrack”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-R-R-A-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkæɹək/ (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