cavitation

Name: cavitation, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˌkævɪˈteɪʃən/

//ˌkævɪˈteɪʃən// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“cavitation” is an uncommon English word, ranked #60,702 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#60,702
frequency rank, English: 10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The formation of pits on a surface.

Key facts for cavitation
Property	Value
Headword	cavitation
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˌkævɪˈteɪʃən/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#60,702
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cavitation” 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). cavitation lands here:

#60,702

#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 cavitation is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌkævɪˈteɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #60,702 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for cavitation, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From cavity + -ation. The correct English form is cavitation, spelled C-A-V-I-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

1
The formation of pits on a surface.
2
The formation, in a fluid, of vapor bubbles that rapidly collapse, especially in a rotating marine propeller or pump impeller.
3
The formation of cavities in an organ, especially in lung tissue as a result of tuberculosis.

Etymology

From cavity + -ation.

This word in other languages

cavitation(Français)

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 "cavitation"?

"cavitation" is spelled C-A-V-I-T-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkævɪˈteɪʃən/.

What does "cavitation" mean?

As a noun, "cavitation" means: The formation of pits on a surface.

How do you pronounce "cavitation"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cavitation" is /ˌkævɪˈteɪʃən/. 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 "cavitation"?

From cavity + -ation. 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 “cavitation”

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

The one correct English spelling is C-A-V-I-T-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˌkævɪˈteɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
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.