CPAP

/ˈsiːpæp/

//ˈsiːpæp// noun

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

"cpap" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“CPAP” is uncommon English (frequency #55,353 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,353
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Initialism of continuous positive airway pressure, a form of artificial ventilation.

Key facts for CPAP
PropertyValue
HeadwordCPAP
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsiːpæp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#55,353
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “CPAP” 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). CPAP lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

CPAP is uncommon English at frequency #55,353 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsiːpæp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

CPAP has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct English form is CPAP, spelled C-P-A-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Initialism of continuous positive airway pressure, a form of artificial ventilation.
  2. 2
    The machine used for continuous positive airway pressure therapy.

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 "CPAP"?
"CPAP" is spelled C-P-A-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsiːpæp/.
What does "CPAP" mean?
As a noun, "CPAP" means: Initialism of continuous positive airway pressure, a form of artificial ventilation.
How do you pronounce "CPAP"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "CPAP" is /ˈsiːpæp/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "CPAP" come from?
"CPAP" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “CPAP”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-P-A-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsiːpæp/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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