caterer

/ˈkeɪtəɹɚ/

//ˈkeɪtəɹɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“caterer” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,167. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,167
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person employed to obtain and maintain the storage of provisions, especially food.

Corpus desk

Index EN-caterer · caterer · English

caterer · rank #40,167 · 10 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,167
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cay

Nearest frequency peer: cay (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “caterer”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “caterer” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

caterer vs caters
71% similar
caterer vs catheter
75% similar
caterer vs cater
71% similar

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

Key facts for caterer
PropertyValue
Headwordcaterer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkeɪtəɹɚ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#40,167
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “caterer”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).catererlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “cay” (#40,168), “celibate” (#40,169), “chancel” (#40,170). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “caterer” is #40,167. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around caterer (IPA /ˈkeɪtəɹɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #40,167 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for caterer, with forms such as "acterer", "caetrer", and "cateerr". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "caters", "catheter", "cater", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From cater + -er. The correct English form is caterer, spelled C-A-T-E-R-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person employed to obtain and maintain the storage of provisions, especially food.
  2. 2
    A person or company hired to provide and serve food, usually for a large group and at a location separate from where the food is prepared.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 1821 June 19, ”Peregrine,” The Traveller: Letter IV, in The Kaleidoscope; Or, Literary and Scientific Mirror, page 401, It was in vain that I petitioned, appealing to our caterer, if proofs of appetite were wanting; for sick men seldom have occasion for that important person′s services.
  2. “I say, Mr. Cribbage,” cried an old master′s-mate, to the caterer, who had entered shortly after the tea-kettles, and assumed his place at the end of the table, “what sort of stuff do you call this?”

Etymology

From cater + -er.

Synonyms

catermancipleobsonatorsteward

This word in other languages

fournisseur(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acterer
  • caetrer
  • cateerr
  • catererr
  • caterre
  • caterrer
  • catreer
  • catterer
  • ccaterer
  • ctaerer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of caterer - 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.

acterer2caetrer2cateerr2catererr1caterre2caterrer1catreer2catterer1
Edit distance from "caterer"

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 "caterer"?
"caterer" is spelled C-A-T-E-R-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkeɪtəɹɚ/.
What does "caterer" mean?
As a noun, "caterer" means: A person employed to obtain and maintain the storage of provisions, especially food.
What words are commonly confused with "caterer"?
"caterer" is commonly confused with "caters", "catheter", "cater". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "caterer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "caterer" is /ˈkeɪtəɹɚ/. 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 "caterer"?
From cater + -er. 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 "caterer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

chancel#40,170Chekhov#40,171chiming#40,172browned#40,159

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

begotten10 variantsbahadur10 variantsAvignon10 variantsarmoury10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list