caveat

/ˈkævɪæt/

//ˈkævɪæt// noun

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

"caveat" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“caveat” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,776. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,776
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A warning.

Corpus desk

Index EN-caveat · caveat · English

caveat · rank #23,776 · 8 variants · 14 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,776
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 14 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH carrick

Nearest frequency peer: carrick (-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 “caveat”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “caveat” 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).

caveat vs cheat
67% similar
caveat vs caves
67% similar
caveat vs caved
67% similar

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

Key facts for caveat
PropertyValue
Headwordcaveat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkævɪæt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#23,776
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “caveat”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).caveatlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “carrick” (#23,775), “caviar” (#23,777), “carcinoma” (#23,774). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “caveat” is #23,776. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around caveat (IPA /ˈkævɪæt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,776 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for caveat, with forms such as "acveat", "caevat", and "cavaet". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "cheat", "caves", "caved", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin caveat (“may he/she/it beware”), third-person singular present active subjunctive of caveō (“I beware of”). Doublet of show, both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- (“to heed, look, feel, take note of”). The correct English form is caveat, spelled C-A-V-E-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A warning.
  2. 2
    A qualification or exemption.
  3. 3
    A formal objection.
  4. 4
    A formal objection.
  5. 5
    A notice requesting a postponement of a court proceeding.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There is at least one caveat in cultivation: you’ll have to stick to only one discipline, such as that according to Bhaiṣajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha.
  2. And ſure, although it was invented to eaſe his mynde of griefe, there be a number of caveats therein to forewarne other young gentlemen to foreſtand with good government their folowing yl fortunes; […]

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin caveat (“may he/she/it beware”), third-person singular present active subjunctive of caveō (“I beware of”). Doublet of show, both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- (“to heed, look, feel, take note of”).

This word in other languages

advertencia(Español)avertissement(Français)Vorbehalt(Deutsch)aviso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acveat
  • caevat
  • cavaet
  • caveatt
  • caveta
  • cavveat
  • ccaveat
  • cvaeat

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of caveat - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

acveat2caevat2cavaet2caveatt1caveta2cavveat1ccaveat1cvaeat2
Edit distance from "caveat"

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 "caveat"?
"caveat" is spelled C-A-V-E-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkævɪæt/.
What does "caveat" mean?
As a noun, "caveat" means: A warning.
What words are commonly confused with "caveat"?
"caveat" is commonly confused with "cheat", "caves", "caved". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "caveat"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "caveat" is /ˈkævɪæt/. 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 "caveat"?
Learned borrowing from Latin caveat (“may he/she/it beware”), third-person singular present active subjunctive of caveō (“I beware of”). Doublet of show, both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- (“to heed, look, feel, take note of”). 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 "caveat", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

caviar#23,777buyout#23,770clique#23,784brewed#23,764

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Chong8 variantscorolla8 variantscrept8 variantscults8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list