cast

/kɑːst/

//kɑːst// verb

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

"cast" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cast” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,686. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,686
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To move, or be moved, away.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cast · cast · English

cast · rank #1,686 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,686
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 43,570
  • PHOTO-FINISH camp

Nearest frequency peer: camp (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “cast”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “cast” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cast vs CT
0% similar
cast vs cs
50% similar
cast vs cut
50% similar

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

Key facts for cast
PropertyValue
Headwordcast
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kɑːst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#1,686
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cast” 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). cast lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around cast (IPA /kɑːst/), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,686 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 34 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for cast, with forms such as "acst", "casst", and "castt". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CT", "cs", "cut", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *kas- Proto-Germanic *kastōną Old Norse kastabor. Middle English casten English cast From Middle English casten, from Old Norse kasta (“to throw, cast, overturn”), from Proto-Germanic *kastōną (“to throw, cast”), of unknown ori… The correct English form is cast, spelled C-A-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To move, or be moved, away.
  2. 2
    To move, or be moved, away.
  3. 3
    To move, or be moved, away.
  4. 4
    To move, or be moved, away.
  5. 5
    To move, or be moved, away.
  6. 6
    To move, or be moved, away.
  7. 7
    To move, or be moved, away.
  8. 8
    To move, or be moved, away.
  9. 9
    To move, or be moved, away.
  10. 10
    To move, or be moved, away.
  11. 11
    To direct (one's eyes, gaze etc.).
  12. 12
    To add up (a column of figures, accounts etc.); cross-cast refers to adding up a row of figures.
  13. 13
    To predict, to decide, to plan.
  14. 14
    To predict, to decide, to plan.
  15. 15
    To predict, to decide, to plan.
  16. 16
    To predict, to decide, to plan.
  17. 17
    To predict, to decide, to plan.
  18. 18
    To predict, to decide, to plan.
  19. 19
    To predict, to decide, to plan.
  20. 20
    To predict, to decide, to plan.
  21. 21
    To predict, to decide, to plan.
  22. 22
    To perform, bring forth (a magical spell or enchantment).
  23. 23
    To throw (light etc.) on or upon something, or in a given direction.
  24. 24
    To give birth to (a child) prematurely; to miscarry.
  25. 25
    To shape (molten metal etc.) by pouring into a mould; to make (an object) in such a way.
  26. 26
    To shape (molten metal etc.) by pouring into a mould; to make (an object) in such a way.
  27. 27
    To twist or warp (of fabric, timber etc.).
  28. 28
    To bring the bows of a sailing ship on to the required tack just as the anchor is weighed by use of the headsail; to bring (a ship) round.
  29. 29
    To deposit (a ballot or voting paper); to formally register (one's vote).
  30. 30
    To change a variable type from, for example, integer to real, or integer to text.
  31. 31
    Of dogs, hunters: to spread out and search for a scent.
  32. 32
    To set (a bone etc.) in a cast.
  33. 33
    To open a circle in order to begin a spell or meeting of witches.
  34. 34
    To broadcast (video) over the Internet or a local network, especially to one's television.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Why then a Ladder quaintly made of Cords / To cast vp, with a paire of anchoring hookes, / Would serue to scale another Hero's towre[…].
  2. The more, an' please your honour, the pity, said the Corporal; in uttering which, he cast his spade into the wheelbarrow[…].

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *kas- Proto-Germanic *kastōną Old Norse kastabor. Middle English casten English cast From Middle English casten, from Old Norse kasta (“to throw, cast, overturn”), from Proto-Germanic *kastōną (“to throw, cast”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots cast (“to cast, throw”), Danish kaste (“to throw”), Swedish kasta (“to throw, cast, fling, toss, discard”), Icelandic kasta (“to pitch, toss”). In the sense of "flinging", displaced native warp. The senses relating to broadcasting are based on that same term; compare -cast.

This word in other languages

lanzar(Español)jeter(Français)werfen(Deutsch)arremessar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acst
  • casst
  • castt
  • ccast
  • csat

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cast - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

acst2casst1castt1ccast1csat2
Edit distance from "cast"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cast"?
"cast" is spelled C-A-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /kɑːst/.
What does "cast" mean?
As a verb, "cast" means: To move, or be moved, away.
What words are commonly confused with "cast"?
"cast" is commonly confused with "CT", "cs", "cut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cast"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cast" is /kɑːst/. 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 "cast"?
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *kas- Proto-Germanic *kastōną Old Norse kastabor. Middle English casten English cast From Middle English casten, from Old Norse kasta (“to throw, cast, overturn”), from Proto-Germanic *kastōną (“to throw, cast”), of u... 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 "cast", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

camp#1,685firm#1,693wild#1,679till#1,706

Similar misspelling depth

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

mike5 variantssoul5 variantsitems5 variantsrise5 variants
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