cavilar

[kaβ̞iˈlaɾ]

/[kaβ̞iˈlaɾ]/ verb

The verdict

“cavilar” is uncommon Spanish (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Aplicar el pensamiento (a algo) de un modo detenido e intenso.

Corpus desk

Index ES-cavilar · cavilar · Spanish

cavilar · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for cavilar
PropertyValue
Headwordcavilar
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechVerb
IPA[kaβ̞iˈlaɾ]
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Cola larga: rango de “cavilar” en español

cavilarqueda fuera de las 100.000 palabras españolas más frecuentes, en la cola larga de vocabulario técnico, arcaico o raro, justo donde más se duda de la ortografía.

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

Rare enough to double-check

cavilar is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed [kaβ̞iˈlaɾ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Aplicar el pensamiento (a algo) de un modo detenido e intenso.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for cavilar, a sign its spelling follows regular Spanish conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Spanish form is cavilar, spelled C-A-V-I-L-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Aplicar el pensamiento (a algo) de un modo detenido e intenso.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how cavilar appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Allí, al igual que sobre el camino, cavilé sobre el rumbo que debía tomar mi vida, y si debía regresar a casa o al mar.

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 "cavilar"?
"cavilar" is spelled C-A-V-I-L-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is [kaβ̞iˈlaɾ].
What does "cavilar" mean?
As a verb, "cavilar" means: Aplicar el pensamiento (a algo) de un modo detenido e intenso.
How do you pronounce "cavilar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cavilar" is [kaβ̞iˈlaɾ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cavilar" come from?
"cavilar" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list