cassock

/ˈkasək/

//ˈkasək// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cassock” is uncommon English (frequency #72,172 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,172
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An item of clerical clothing: a long, sheath-like, close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by clergy members of some Christian denominations.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cassock · cassock · English

cassock · rank #72,172 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #72,172
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH casco

Nearest frequency peer: casco (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “cassock”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “cassock” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cassock
PropertyValue
Headwordcassock
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkasək/
Letters7
Frequency rank#72,172
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cassock” in English

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).cassockfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “casco” (#72,171), “cartoony” (#72,170), “centring” (#72,175). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cassock” is #72,172. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cassock is uncommon English at frequency #72,172 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkasək/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for cassock, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French casaque (“cloak”). The correct English form is cassock, spelled C-A-S-S-O-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    An item of clerical clothing: a long, sheath-like, close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by clergy members of some Christian denominations.
  2. 2
    A military cloak or long coat worn by soldiers or horsemen in the 16th and 17th centuries.
  3. 3
    A coarse, loose cloak or gown, worn by women, sailors, shepherds, countryfolk etc.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to…
  2. In one of the aisles there was an elaborately carved confessional box and I recognised the village priest in his heavy mountain boots and black cassock as he entered it and drew the dark velvet curtains behind him.

Etymology

From Middle French casaque (“cloak”).

This word in other languages

sotana(Español)soutane(Français)Soutane(Deutsch)batina(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 "cassock"?
"cassock" is spelled C-A-S-S-O-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkasək/.
What does "cassock" mean?
As a noun, "cassock" means: An item of clerical clothing: a long, sheath-like, close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by clergy members of some Christian denominations.
How do you pronounce "cassock"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cassock" is /ˈkasək/. 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 "cassock"?
From Middle French casaque (“cloak”). 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 "cassock", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

chapeau#72,177candler#72,165bycatch#72,159civitas#72,187

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list