kaftan

/ˈkæf.tæn/

//ˈkæf.tæn// noun

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

"kaftan" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kaftan” is uncommon English (frequency #90,604 among 1,236 “K” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,604
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A long tunic worn in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kaftan · kaftan · English

kaftan · rank #90,604 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #90,604
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH Kalani

Nearest frequency peer: Kalani (+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 “kaftan”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for kaftan
PropertyValue
Headwordkaftan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæf.tæn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#90,604
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “kaftan” 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).kaftanfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Kalani” (#90,605), “kanaka” (#90,609), “jizya” (#90,598). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “kaftan” is #90,604. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

kaftan is uncommon English at frequency #90,604 among 1,236 “K” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkæf.tæn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for kaftan in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Via Russian кафта́н (kaftán), from Ottoman Turkish قفتان (kaftan), from Classical Persian خَفْتَان (xaftān), which occurs already in the Shahnameh. The correct English form is kaftan, spelled K-A-F-T-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A long tunic worn in the Eastern Mediterranean.
  2. 2
    A long dress or shirt similar in style to those worn in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Etymology

Via Russian кафта́н (kaftán), from Ottoman Turkish قفتان (kaftan), from Classical Persian خَفْتَان (xaftān), which occurs already in the Shahnameh.

This word in other languages

caftán(Español)caftan(Français)Kaftan(Deutsch)

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 "kaftan"?
"kaftan" is spelled K-A-F-T-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæf.tæn/.
What does "kaftan" mean?
As a noun, "kaftan" means: A long tunic worn in the Eastern Mediterranean.
How do you pronounce "kaftan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kaftan" is /ˈkæf.tæn/. 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 "kaftan"?
Via Russian кафта́н (kaftán), from Ottoman Turkish قفتان (kaftan), from Classical Persian خَفْتَان (xaftān), which occurs already in the Shahnameh. 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 "kaftan", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Kalani#90,605kanaka#90,609kanban#90,610kibosh#90,622

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list