cavern

/ˈkav.ən/

//ˈkav.ən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cavern” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,032. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,032
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-cavern · cavern · English

cavern · rank #26,032 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,032
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Cedric

Nearest frequency peer: Cedric (+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 “cavern”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cavern” 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).

cavern vs CERN
0% similar
cavern vs cover
67% similar
cavern vs caves
67% similar

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

Key facts for cavern
PropertyValue
Headwordcavern
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkav.ən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#26,032
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cavern”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).cavernlands 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 “Cedric” (#26,033), “certify” (#26,034), “champaign” (#26,035). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cavern” is #26,032. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around cavern (IPA /ˈkav.ən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,032 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for cavern, with forms such as "acvern", "caevrn", and "cavenr". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CERN", "cover", "caves", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English caverne, borrowing from Old French caverne, from Latin caverna (“hollow, cavity, cave”), from cavus (“hollow, excavated, concave”). The correct English form is cavern, spelled C-A-V-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large cave.
  2. 2
    An underground chamber.
  3. 3
    A large, dark place or space.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure-dome decree: / Where Alph, the sacred river, ran / Through caverns measureless to man / Down to a sunless sea.
  2. a dark cavern of a shop

Etymology

From Middle English caverne, borrowing from Old French caverne, from Latin caverna (“hollow, cavity, cave”), from cavus (“hollow, excavated, concave”).

This word in other languages

caverna(Español)caverne(Français)Grotte(Deutsch)caverna(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acvern
  • caevrn
  • cavenr
  • cavernn
  • caverrn
  • cavren
  • cavvern
  • ccavern
  • cvaern

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acvern2caevrn2cavenr2cavernn1caverrn1cavren2cavvern1ccavern1
Edit distance from "cavern"

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 "cavern"?
"cavern" is spelled C-A-V-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkav.ən/.
What does "cavern" mean?
As a noun, "cavern" means: A large cave.
What words are commonly confused with "cavern"?
"cavern" is commonly confused with "CERN", "cover", "caves". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cavern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cavern" is /ˈkav.ən/. 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 "cavern"?
From Middle English caverne, borrowing from Old French caverne, from Latin caverna (“hollow, cavity, cave”), from cavus (“hollow, excavated, concave”). 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 "cavern", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Cedric#26,033Chopra#26,039cocoon#26,042bowels#26,019

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

capping9 variantsdebtor9 variantsArcadia9 variantsAntigua9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list