cautivar

[kawt̪iˈβ̞aɾ]

/[kawt̪iˈβ̞aɾ]/ verb

The verdict

“cautivar” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #53,412 among 8,288 “C” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,412
frequency rank, Spanish
8,288
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Privar de la libertad, especialmente al enemigo en la guerra; hacer cautivo o prisionero.

Corpus desk

Index ES-cautivar · cautivar · Spanish

cautivar · rank #53,412 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,412
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 8,288
  • PHOTO-FINISH cañonazos

Nearest frequency peer: cañonazos (+1 rank slots)

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.

Rangos de cola larga cerca de “cautivar”

Banda escasa: las barras invierten el rango para que lo raro se lea más corto

corpus weight

What this shows Vista de cola larga: dónde “cautivar” se sitúa frente a rangos españoles igualmente raros.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cautivar
PropertyValue
Headwordcautivar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[kawt̪iˈβ̞aɾ]
Letters8
Frequency rank#53,412
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Cola larga: rango de “cautivar” en español

La frecuencia va del puñado de palabras que usamos sin parar (izquierda) a la cola larga que apenas aparece (derecha).cautivarcae en esta cola de rareza:

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

Los ticks avanzan en logaritmo; cada uno es del orden de diez veces más raro. Vecinos raros de la misma franja: “cañonazos” (#53,413), “ceca” (#53,414), “catalogadas” (#53,409). Entre 8,288 lemas con “C”, “cautivar” va en #53,412. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cautivar is uncommon Spanish at frequency #53,412 among 8,288 “C” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed [kawt̪iˈβ̞aɾ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

cautivar has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. 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.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Spanish form is cautivar, spelled C-A-U-T-I-V-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Privar de la libertad, especialmente al enemigo en la guerra; hacer cautivo o prisionero.
  2. 2
    Generar una atracción o influencia muy fuerte sobre la atención, la voluntad, el ánimo o las emociones.

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); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cautivar"?
"cautivar" is spelled C-A-U-T-I-V-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [kawt̪iˈβ̞aɾ].
What does "cautivar" mean?
As a verb, "cautivar" means: Privar de la libertad, especialmente al enemigo en la guerra; hacer cautivo o prisionero.
How do you pronounce "cautivar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cautivar" is [kawt̪iˈβ̞aɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cautivar" come from?
"cautivar" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 Spanish words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cautivar", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked Spanish headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list