cup

/kʌp/

//kʌp// noun

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

"cup" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cup” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #805 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#805
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A concave vessel for drinking, usually made of opaque material (as opposed to a glass) and with a handle.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cup vs CV
0% similar
cup vs CW
0% similar
cup vs CX
0% similar

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

Key facts for cup
PropertyValue
Headwordcup
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kʌp/
Letters3
Frequency rank#805
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cup” 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). cup 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 cup is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kʌp/. Corpus data places it at rank #805 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 22 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

cup has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CV", "CW", "CX", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English cuppe, coppe, from the merger of Old English cuppe (“cup”) and Old English copp (“cup, vessel”). Old English cuppe is a borrowing from Late Latin cuppa, itself of obscure origin, but probably from earlier Latin cūpa (“tub, cask… The correct English form is cup, spelled C-U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A concave vessel for drinking, usually made of opaque material (as opposed to a glass) and with a handle.
  2. 2
    The contents of said vessel.
  3. 3
    A customary unit of measure
  4. 4
    A customary unit of measure
  5. 5
    A customary unit of measure
  6. 6
    A customary unit of measure
  7. 7
    A trophy in the shape of an oversized cup.
  8. 8
    A contest for which a cup is awarded.
  9. 9
    The main knockout tournament in a country, organised alongside the league.
  10. 10
    A cup-shaped object placed in the target hole.
  11. 11
    A container in which dice are held and shaken before being thrown.
  12. 12
    Any of various sweetened alcoholic drinks.
  13. 13
    A rigid concave protective covering for the male genitalia.
  14. 14
    One of the two parts of a brassiere which each cover a breast.
  15. 15
    One of the two parts of a brassiere which each cover a breast.
  16. 16
    The symbol ∪ denoting union and similar operations.
  17. 17
    A suit of the minor arcana in tarot, or one of the cards from the suit.
  18. 18
    A defensive style characterized by a three player near defense cupping the thrower; or those three players.
  19. 19
    A flexible concave membrane used to temporarily attach a handle or hook to a flat surface by means of suction.
  20. 20
    Anything shaped like a cup.
  21. 21
    A cupping glass or other vessel or instrument used to produce the vacuum in cupping.
  22. 22
    That which is to be received or indured; that which is allotted to one; a portion of blessings and afflictions.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English cuppe, coppe, from the merger of Old English cuppe (“cup”) and Old English copp (“cup, vessel”). Old English cuppe is a borrowing from Late Latin cuppa, itself of obscure origin, but probably from earlier Latin cūpa (“tub, cask”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewp- (“a hollow”). Old English copp, however, is from Proto-West Germanic *kopp (“round object, bowl, vessel, knoll, summit, crown of the head”), from Proto-Germanic *kuppaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend, curve, arch”) (whence also obsolete English cop (“top, summit, crown of the head”), German Kopf (“top, head”)). The Middle English word was further reinforced by Anglo-Norman cupe and Old French cope, coupe, from Latin cuppa. Compare also Saterland Frisian Kop (“cup”), West Frisian kop (“cup”), Dutch kop (“cup”), German Low German Koppke, Köppke (“cup”), Danish kop (“cup”), Swedish kopp (“cup”). Doublet of coupe, hive, and keeve.

This word in other languages

taza(Español)tasse(Français)Tasse(Deutsch)xícara(Português)

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 "cup"?
"cup" is spelled C-U-P. The IPA pronunciation is /kʌp/.
What does "cup" mean?
As a noun, "cup" means: A concave vessel for drinking, usually made of opaque material (as opposed to a glass) and with a handle.
What words are commonly confused with "cup"?
"cup" is commonly confused with "CV", "CW", "CX". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cup"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cup" is /kʌp/. 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 "cup"?
Inherited from Middle English cuppe, coppe, from the merger of Old English cuppe (“cup”) and Old English copp (“cup, vessel”). Old English cuppe is a borrowing from Late Latin cuppa, itself of obscure origin, but probably from earlier Latin cūpa (... 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 “cup”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kʌp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “CV” - see the side-by-side comparison. cup vs CV
  • 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