cavalier

/ˌkævəˈlɪɚ/

//ˌkævəˈlɪɚ// adj

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

"cavalier" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cavalier” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,196 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#23,196
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Lacking the proper care or concern for something important, reckless, rash, high-handed.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cavalier vs chevalier
78% similar

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

Key facts for cavalier
PropertyValue
Headwordcavalier
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌkævəˈlɪɚ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#23,196
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cavalier” 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). cavalier lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for cavalier is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌkævəˈlɪɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,196 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for cavalier, with forms such as "acvalier", "caavlier", and "cavailer". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "chevalier", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: First appears c. 1562 in a translation by Peter Whitehorne. Borrowed from Middle French cavalier (“horseman”), itself borrowed from Old Italian cavaliere (“mounted soldier, knight”), borrowed from Old Occitan cavalier, from Late Latin caballārius (“horseman… The correct English form is cavalier, spelled C-A-V-A-L-I-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lacking the proper care or concern for something important, reckless, rash, high-handed.
  2. 2
    High-spirited.
  3. 3
    Supercilious.
  4. 4
    Free and easy; unconcerned with formalities
  5. 5
    Of or pertaining to the party of King Charles I of England (1600–1649).

Etymology

First appears c. 1562 in a translation by Peter Whitehorne. Borrowed from Middle French cavalier (“horseman”), itself borrowed from Old Italian cavaliere (“mounted soldier, knight”), borrowed from Old Occitan cavalier, from Late Latin caballārius (“horseman”), from Latin caballus (“horse”), probably from Gaulish caballos 'nag', variant of cabillos (compare Welsh ceffyl, Breton kefel, Irish capall), akin to German (Swabish) Kōb 'nag' and Old Church Slavonic кобꙑла (kobyla) 'mare'. Previous English forms include cavalero and cavaliero. Doublet of caballero and chevalier.

This word in other languages

cavalier(Français)nachlässig(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acvalier,caavlier,cavailer,cavaleir,cavalierr,cavalire,cavallier,cavlaier,cavvalier,ccavalier,cvaalier

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acvalier2caavlier2cavailer2cavaleir2cavalierr1cavalire2cavallier1cavlaier2
Edit distance from "cavalier"

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 "cavalier"?
"cavalier" is spelled C-A-V-A-L-I-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkævəˈlɪɚ/.
What does "cavalier" mean?
As an adjective, "cavalier" means: Lacking the proper care or concern for something important, reckless, rash, high-handed.
What words are commonly confused with "cavalier"?
"cavalier" is commonly confused with "chevalier". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cavalier"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cavalier" is /ˌkævəˈlɪɚ/. 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 "cavalier"?
First appears c. 1562 in a translation by Peter Whitehorne. Borrowed from Middle French cavalier (“horseman”), itself borrowed from Old Italian cavaliere (“mounted soldier, knight”), borrowed from Old Occitan cavalier, from Late Latin caballārius ... 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 “cavalier”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-V-A-L-I-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌkævəˈlɪɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “chevalier” - see the side-by-side comparison. cavalier vs chevalier
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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