cavernous

/ˈkav.ən.əs/

//ˈkav.ən.əs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“cavernous” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #39,238 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#39,238
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Resembling a cavern in size, shape, or atmosphere.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cavernous vs caverns
78% similar

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

Key facts for cavernous
PropertyValue
Headwordcavernous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkav.ən.əs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#39,238
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cavernous” 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). cavernous 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 cavernous is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkav.ən.əs/. Corpus data places it at rank #39,238 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for cavernous, with forms such as "acvernous", "caevrnous", and "cavenrous". 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, "caverns", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Late Middle English cavernous, cavernose, borrowing from Old French caverneux or Latin cavernōsus (“full of hollows or cavities”), from caverna (“a hollow, cavity, cave”) + -ōsus (“-ous, -ose”, adjectival suffix); equivalent to cavern + -ous. The correct English form is cavernous, spelled C-A-V-E-R-N-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Resembling a cavern in size, shape, or atmosphere.
  2. 2
    Resembling a cavern in size, shape, or atmosphere.
  3. 3
    Having many caverns.
  4. 4
    Having many caverns.

Etymology

Late Middle English cavernous, cavernose, borrowing from Old French caverneux or Latin cavernōsus (“full of hollows or cavities”), from caverna (“a hollow, cavity, cave”) + -ōsus (“-ous, -ose”, adjectival suffix); equivalent to cavern + -ous.

This word in other languages

cavernoso(Español)caverneux(Français)cavernoso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acvernous,caevrnous,cavenrous,cavernnous,cavernosu,cavernouss,cavernuos,caveronus,caverrnous,cavrenous,cavvernous,ccavernous,cvaernous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acvernous2caevrnous2cavenrous2cavernnous1cavernosu2cavernouss1cavernuos2caveronus2
Edit distance from "cavernous"

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 "cavernous"?
"cavernous" is spelled C-A-V-E-R-N-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkav.ən.əs/.
What does "cavernous" mean?
As an adjective, "cavernous" means: Resembling a cavern in size, shape, or atmosphere.
What words are commonly confused with "cavernous"?
"cavernous" is commonly confused with "caverns". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cavernous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cavernous" is /ˈkav.ən.əs/. 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 "cavernous"?
Late Middle English cavernous, cavernose, borrowing from Old French caverneux or Latin cavernōsus (“full of hollows or cavities”), from caverna (“a hollow, cavity, cave”) + -ōsus (“-ous, -ose”, adjectival suffix); equivalent to cavern + -ous. 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 “cavernous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-V-E-R-N-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkav.ən.əs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “caverns” - see the side-by-side comparison. cavernous vs caverns
  • 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