cauliflower

/ˈkɒl.i.flaʊ.ə/

//ˈkɒl.i.flaʊ.ə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cauliflower” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,314. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,314
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, an annual variety of cabbage, of which the cluster of young flower stalks and buds is eaten as a vegetable.

Key facts for cauliflower
PropertyValue
Headwordcauliflower
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒl.i.flaʊ.ə/
Letters11
Frequency rank#22,314
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cauliflower” 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). cauliflower 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 16 spelling variants around cauliflower (IPA /ˈkɒl.i.flaʊ.ə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,314 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for cauliflower, with forms such as "aculiflower", "caluiflower", and "cauilflower". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From 16th century cole-florye, equivalent to cole (from Latin caulis) + flower, reformed to more closely match the Latin etymon. Cognate with French chou-fleur, Italian cavolfiore. The correct English form is cauliflower, spelled C-A-U-L-I-F-L-O-W-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, an annual variety of cabbage, of which the cluster of young flower stalks and buds is eaten as a vegetable.
  2. 2
    The edible head or curd of a cauliflower plant.
  3. 3
    The swelling of a cauliflower ear.

Etymology

From 16th century cole-florye, equivalent to cole (from Latin caulis) + flower, reformed to more closely match the Latin etymon. Cognate with French chou-fleur, Italian cavolfiore.

This word in other languages

coliflor(Español)chou-fleur(Français)Blumenkohl(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aculiflower
  • caluiflower
  • cauilflower
  • caulfilower
  • caulifflower
  • caulifllower
  • caulifloewr
  • cauliflowerr
  • cauliflowre
  • cauliflowwer
  • cauliflwoer
  • caulifolwer
  • caulilfower
  • caulliflower
  • ccauliflower
  • cualiflower

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aculiflower2caluiflower2cauilflower2caulfilower2caulifflower1caulifllower1caulifloewr2cauliflowerr1
Edit distance from "cauliflower"

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 "cauliflower"?
"cauliflower" is spelled C-A-U-L-I-F-L-O-W-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒl.i.flaʊ.ə/.
What does "cauliflower" mean?
As a noun, "cauliflower" means: Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, an annual variety of cabbage, of which the cluster of young flower stalks and buds is eaten as a vegetable.
What are common misspellings of "cauliflower"?
Common misspellings include "aculiflower", "caluiflower", "cauilflower", "caulfilower", "caulifflower". The correct spelling is "cauliflower".
How do you pronounce "cauliflower"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cauliflower" is /ˈkɒl.i.flaʊ.ə/. 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 "cauliflower"?
From 16th century cole-florye, equivalent to cole (from Latin caulis) + flower, reformed to more closely match the Latin etymon. Cognate with French chou-fleur, Italian cavolfiore. 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 “cauliflower”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-U-L-I-F-L-O-W-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɒl.i.flaʊ.ə/ (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