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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,776 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#23,776
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A warning.

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)

Where “caveat” 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). caveat 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 caveat is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkævɪæt/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,776 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 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.

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.

Using “caveat”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-V-E-A-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkævɪæt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “cheat” - see the side-by-side comparison. caveat vs cheat
  • 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