caterpillar

/ˈkætəˌpɪlə/

//ˈkætəˌpɪlə// noun

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

"caterpillar" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“caterpillar” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,563. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,563
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The larva of a butterfly or moth; leafworm.

Key facts for caterpillar
PropertyValue
Headwordcaterpillar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkætəˌpɪlə/
Letters11
Frequency rank#17,563
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “caterpillar” 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). caterpillar 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 15 spelling variants around caterpillar (IPA /ˈkætəˌpɪlə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,563 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for caterpillar, with forms such as "acterpillar", "caetrpillar", and "cateprillar". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English catirpel, catirpeller, probably from Old Northern French catepeluse (Modern French chatte + pileuse (“hairy cat”)), from Late Latin catta + pilōsa. The sense "rapacious, extortionate person" arose by association with obsolete piller (“pl… The correct English form is caterpillar, spelled C-A-T-E-R-P-I-L-L-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    The larva of a butterfly or moth; leafworm.
  2. 2
    A vehicle with a caterpillar track; a crawler.
  3. 3
    A set of subtrees of a tree.
  4. 4
    A rapacious, extortionate person preying upon the community.

Etymology

From Middle English catirpel, catirpeller, probably from Old Northern French catepeluse (Modern French chatte + pileuse (“hairy cat”)), from Late Latin catta + pilōsa. The sense "rapacious, extortionate person" arose by association with obsolete piller (“plunderer”). See Modern Norman cattepeleuse. Displaced native kaleworm, from Middle English cowle worm, cale worme (“caterpillar, corn weevil”), from Old English cawelwyrm, cawelwurm (“caterpillar”).

This word in other languages

oruga(Español)chenille(Français)Raupe(Deutsch)lagarta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acterpillar
  • caetrpillar
  • cateprillar
  • cateripllar
  • caterpilalr
  • caterpilar
  • caterpillarr
  • caterpillra
  • caterplilar
  • caterppillar
  • caterrpillar
  • catrepillar
  • catterpillar
  • ccaterpillar
  • ctaerpillar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acterpillar2caetrpillar2cateprillar2cateripllar2caterpilalr2caterpilar1caterpillarr1caterpillra2
Edit distance from "caterpillar"

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 "caterpillar"?
"caterpillar" is spelled C-A-T-E-R-P-I-L-L-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkætəˌpɪlə/.
What does "caterpillar" mean?
As a noun, "caterpillar" means: The larva of a butterfly or moth; leafworm.
What are common misspellings of "caterpillar"?
Common misspellings include "acterpillar", "caetrpillar", "cateprillar", "cateripllar", "caterpilalr". The correct spelling is "caterpillar".
How do you pronounce "caterpillar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "caterpillar" is /ˈkætəˌpɪlə/. 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 "caterpillar"?
From Middle English catirpel, catirpeller, probably from Old Northern French catepeluse (Modern French chatte + pileuse (“hairy cat”)), from Late Latin catta + pilōsa. The sense "rapacious, extortionate person" arose by association with obsolete p... 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 “caterpillar”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-T-E-R-P-I-L-L-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkætəˌpɪlə/ (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

Same frequency band

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