CV

noun

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

"cv" is a 2-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“CV” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,748 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,748
frequency rank, English
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Initialism of curriculum vitae.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

CV vs CW
50% similar
CV vs CX
50% similar
CV vs cz
0% similar

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

Key facts for CV
PropertyValue
HeadwordCV
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters2
Frequency rank#12,748
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “CV” 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). CV 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 CV is 2 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #12,748 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 19 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for CV in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CW", "CX", "cz", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Abbreviation. * (anime, Japanimation): From Japanese CV (CV), from English character+voice * (aircraft carrier): Initialism of cruiser (“croiseur”) + French voler (“to fly”). The correct English form is CV, spelled C-V.

Definition

  1. 1
    Initialism of curriculum vitae.
  2. 2
    Initialism of combat vehicle.
  3. 3
    Initialism of construction vessel
  4. 4
    Initialism of container vessel; a container ship
  5. 5
    Initialism of commercial vehicle
  6. 6
    Abbreviation of cellevision.
  7. 7
    Initialism of catalog value.
  8. 8
    Initialism of character's voice (“voice actor”).
  9. 9
    Initialism of cardinal vowel.
  10. 10
    aircraft carrier (“Cruiser Voler”), a diesel-powered warship launching and landing heavier than air flying vehicles (a nuclear-powered one is a CVN)
  11. 11
    Initialism of cataclysmic variable.
  12. 12
    Initialism of countervailing.
  13. 13
    Initialism of cross-validation.
  14. 14
    Initialism of coronavirus.
  15. 15
    Initialism of cytolytic vaginosis.
  16. 16
    Initialism of constant velocity.
  17. 17
    Initialism of constant velocity.
  18. 18
    Initialism of computer vision.
  19. 19
    Initialism of cock vore.

Etymology

Abbreviation. * (anime, Japanimation): From Japanese CV (CV), from English character+voice * (aircraft carrier): Initialism of cruiser (“croiseur”) + French voler (“to fly”).

This word in other languages

cv(Español)CV(Français)

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 "CV"?
"CV" is spelled C-V.
What does "CV" mean?
As a noun, "CV" means: Initialism of curriculum vitae.
What words are commonly confused with "CV"?
"CV" is commonly confused with "CW", "CX", "cz". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "CV"?
Abbreviation. * (anime, Japanimation): From Japanese CV (CV), from English character+voice * (aircraft carrier): Initialism of cruiser (“croiseur”) + French voler (“to fly”). 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 “CV”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-V - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “CW” - see the side-by-side comparison. CV vs CW
  • 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