curriculum vitae

/kəˈɹɪkjələm ˈviːteɪ/

//kəˈɹɪkjələm ˈviːteɪ// noun

"curriculum-vitae" is a 15-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“curriculum vitae” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
16
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A written account of one's life comprising one's education, accomplishments, work experience, publications, etc.; especially, one used to apply for a job.

Key facts for curriculum vitae
PropertyValue
Headwordcurriculum vitae
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəˈɹɪkjələm ˈviːteɪ/
Letters16
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “curriculum vitae” sits in English frequency

curriculum vitae falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for curriculum vitae is 16 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəˈɹɪkjələm ˈviːteɪ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for curriculum vitae, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin curriculum (“course”) + vītae, genitive of vīta (“life”). The correct English form is curriculum vitae, spelled C-U-R-R-I-C-U-L-U-M- -V-I-T-A-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A written account of one's life comprising one's education, accomplishments, work experience, publications, etc.; especially, one used to apply for a job.
  2. 2
    A detailed written account of one's education and experience used to seek positions in academic or educational environments, typically including academic credentials, publications, courses taught, etc.

Etymology

From Latin curriculum (“course”) + vītae, genitive of vīta (“life”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "curriculum vitae"?
"curriculum vitae" is spelled C-U-R-R-I-C-U-L-U-M- -V-I-T-A-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈɹɪkjələm ˈviːteɪ/.
What does "curriculum vitae" mean?
As a noun, "curriculum vitae" means: A written account of one's life comprising one's education, accomplishments, work experience, publications, etc.; especially, one used to apply for a job.
How do you pronounce "curriculum vitae"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "curriculum vitae" is /kəˈɹɪkjələm ˈviːteɪ/. 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 "curriculum vitae"?
From Latin curriculum (“course”) + vītae, genitive of vīta (“life”). 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 “curriculum vitae”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-U-R-R-I-C-U-L-U-M- -V-I-T-A-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kəˈɹɪkjələm ˈviːteɪ/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list