cavalcade

/ˈkæv.əlˌkeɪd/

//ˈkæv.əlˌkeɪd// noun

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

"cavalcade" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cavalcade” is uncommon English (frequency #51,603 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,603
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A procession of riders, vehicles, ships, etc.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cavalcade · cavalcade · English

cavalcade · rank #51,603 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,603
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH catalyze

Nearest frequency peer: catalyze (-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 “cavalcade”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cavalcade
PropertyValue
Headwordcavalcade
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæv.əlˌkeɪd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#51,603
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cavalcade” 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).cavalcadefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “catalyze” (#51,602), “cerebrospinal” (#51,604), “Ceredigion” (#51,605). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cavalcade” is #51,603. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cavalcade is uncommon English at frequency #51,603 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkæv.əlˌkeɪd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

cavalcade doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French cavalcade, from Old French cavalcade, from Old Italian cavalcata, from cavalcare (“to ride on horseback”), from Medieval Latin caballicō, from Vulgar Latin caballus (“horse”). Doublet of chevauchee. The correct English form is cavalcade, spelled C-A-V-A-L-C-A-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A procession of riders, vehicles, ships, etc.
  2. 2
    A ceremonial parade.
  3. 3
    A trail ride, usually more than one day long.
  4. 4
    An often dramatic series or chain of events or things.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. To the onlooker, and particularly to those whose memories go back to pre-grouping days, the modern cavalcade of "V2s" and "B1s" is apt to become a little monotonous; but to any running man the general utility characteristics of these two classes are a perfect godsend at times of exceptional pressure, when it is often a case of "first in—first out" with lo…
  2. For the first three hours all went as well as could be expected, and then an accident happened that nearly lost us the pleasure of the company of our venerable friend Billali, whose litter was leading the cavalcade.

Etymology

From French cavalcade, from Old French cavalcade, from Old Italian cavalcata, from cavalcare (“to ride on horseback”), from Medieval Latin caballicō, from Vulgar Latin caballus (“horse”). Doublet of chevauchee.

This word in other languages

cabalgada(Español)cavalcade(Français)Kavalkade(Deutsch)

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 "cavalcade"?
"cavalcade" is spelled C-A-V-A-L-C-A-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæv.əlˌkeɪd/.
What does "cavalcade" mean?
As a noun, "cavalcade" means: A procession of riders, vehicles, ships, etc.
How do you pronounce "cavalcade"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cavalcade" is /ˈkæv.əlˌkeɪd/. 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 "cavalcade"?
From French cavalcade, from Old French cavalcade, from Old Italian cavalcata, from cavalcare (“to ride on horseback”), from Medieval Latin caballicō, from Vulgar Latin caballus (“horse”). Doublet of chevauchee. 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 "cavalcade", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

chequered#51,608captivate#51,595Bundaberg#51,588concisely#51,624

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list