cartoon

/kɑːˈtuːn/

//kɑːˈtuːn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cartoon” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,221 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,221
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A humorous drawing, often with a caption, or a strip of such drawings.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cartoon vs cation
71% similar
cartoon vs caution
71% similar
cartoon vs caron
71% similar

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

Key facts for cartoon
PropertyValue
Headwordcartoon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɑːˈtuːn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#6,221
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cartoon” 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). cartoon 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 cartoon is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɑːˈtuːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,221 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for cartoon, with forms such as "acrtoon", "caroton", and "carrtoon". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "cation", "caution", "caron", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: In British English first, from French carton (“sketch, cardboard, card”), from Italian cartone (“cardboard, carton, box”), augmentative of carta (“paper”), from Latin carta (“papyrus, paper”), from Ancient Greek χάρτης (khártēs) (see there for further etymo… The correct English form is cartoon, spelled C-A-R-T-O-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A humorous drawing, often with a caption, or a strip of such drawings.
  2. 2
    A drawing satirising current public figures.
  3. 3
    An artist's preliminary sketch.
  4. 4
    A full-sized drawing that serves as the template for a fresco, a tapestry, etc.
  5. 5
    An animated piece of film which is often but not exclusively humorous.
  6. 6
    A cartoon series.
  7. 7
    A diagram in a scientific concept.

Etymology

In British English first, from French carton (“sketch, cardboard, card”), from Italian cartone (“cardboard, carton, box”), augmentative of carta (“paper”), from Latin carta (“papyrus, paper”), from Ancient Greek χάρτης (khártēs) (see there for further etymology). Doublet of carton and card.

Synonyms

comic stripstrip cartooncaricaturepolitical cartoonanimated cartoonanimation

This word in other languages

viñeta(Español)bande dessinée(Français)Karton(Deutsch)cartum(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acrtoon,caroton,carrtoon,cartono,cartoonn,carttoon,catroon,ccartoon,cratoon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cartoon - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

acrtoon2caroton2carrtoon1cartono2cartoonn1carttoon1catroon2ccartoon1
Edit distance from "cartoon"

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 "cartoon"?
"cartoon" is spelled C-A-R-T-O-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kɑːˈtuːn/.
What does "cartoon" mean?
As a noun, "cartoon" means: A humorous drawing, often with a caption, or a strip of such drawings.
What words are commonly confused with "cartoon"?
"cartoon" is commonly confused with "cation", "caution", "caron". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cartoon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cartoon" is /kɑːˈtuːn/. 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 "cartoon"?
In British English first, from French carton (“sketch, cardboard, card”), from Italian cartone (“cardboard, carton, box”), augmentative of carta (“paper”), from Latin carta (“papyrus, paper”), from Ancient Greek χάρτης (khártēs) (see there for fur... 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 “cartoon”

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

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