cuddy

/ˈkʌdi/

//ˈkʌdi// noun

"cuddy" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cuddy” is uncommon English (frequency #51,048 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,048
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A cabin, for the use of the captain, in the after part of a sailing ship under the poop deck.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cuddy · cuddy · English

cuddy · rank #51,048 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,048
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH culpa

Nearest frequency peer: culpa (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “cuddy”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “cuddy” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cuddy
PropertyValue
Headwordcuddy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌdi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#51,048
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cuddy” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).cuddyfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “culpa” (#51,049), “cuneiform” (#51,050), “cuttlefish” (#51,051). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cuddy” is #51,048. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cuddy is uncommon English at frequency #51,048 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkʌdi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

cuddy doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Uncertain. Perhaps a contraction from Dutch kajuit (“cabin”). The correct English form is cuddy, spelled C-U-D-D-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A cabin, for the use of the captain, in the after part of a sailing ship under the poop deck.
  2. 2
    A small cupboard or closet.
  3. 3
    A donkey, especially one driven by a huckster or greengrocer.
  4. 4
    A pony that works in a mine.
  5. 5
    A blockhead; a lout.
  6. 6
    A lever mounted on a tripod for lifting stones, leveling up railroad ties, etc.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Being summoned to the cuddy to breakfast, I had not been there five minutes when I turned deadly sick, was obliged to retire to my cot […] .
  2. It was a strong measure I own, walking into your cuddy, and calling for drink as if I was the Captain […]

Etymology

Uncertain. Perhaps a contraction from Dutch kajuit (“cabin”).

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 "cuddy"?
"cuddy" is spelled C-U-D-D-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌdi/.
What does "cuddy" mean?
As a noun, "cuddy" means: A cabin, for the use of the captain, in the after part of a sailing ship under the poop deck.
How do you pronounce "cuddy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cuddy" is /ˈkʌdi/. 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 "cuddy"?
Uncertain. Perhaps a contraction from Dutch kajuit (“cabin”). 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 "cuddy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list