corvette

/kɔːɹˈvɛt/

//kɔːɹˈvɛt// noun

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

"corvette" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“corvette” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,794 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,794
frequency rank, English
8
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A flush-decked warship of the 17th-18th centuries having a single tier of guns; it ranked next below a frigate; – called in the United States navy a sloop of war.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

corvette vs Corbett
63% similar

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

Key facts for corvette
PropertyValue
Headwordcorvette
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɔːɹˈvɛt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#18,794
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “corvette” 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). corvette 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 corvette is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɔːɹˈvɛt/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,794 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.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for corvette, with forms such as "ccorvette", "corevtte", and "corrvette". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Corbett", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unadapted borrowing from French corvette. The correct English form is corvette, spelled C-O-R-V-E-T-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A flush-decked warship of the 17th-18th centuries having a single tier of guns; it ranked next below a frigate; – called in the United States navy a sloop of war.
  2. 2
    In a modern navy, a lightly armed and armoured blue water warship, smaller than a frigate, capable of transoceanic duty.
  3. 3
    In a modern navy, a lightly armed and armoured blue water warship, smaller than a frigate, capable of transoceanic duty.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French corvette.

This word in other languages

corbeta(Español)corvette(Français)Korvette(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccorvette,corevtte,corrvette,corvete,corvetet,corvtete,corvvette,covrette,crovette,ocrvette

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccorvette1corevtte2corrvette1corvete1corvetet2corvtete2corvvette1covrette2
Edit distance from "corvette"

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 "corvette"?
"corvette" is spelled C-O-R-V-E-T-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kɔːɹˈvɛt/.
What does "corvette" mean?
As a noun, "corvette" means: A flush-decked warship of the 17th-18th centuries having a single tier of guns; it ranked next below a frigate; – called in the United States navy a sloop of war.
What words are commonly confused with "corvette"?
"corvette" is commonly confused with "Corbett". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "corvette"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "corvette" is /kɔːɹˈvɛt/. 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 "corvette"?
Unadapted borrowing from French corvette. 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 “corvette”

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

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