cenote

[seˈnot̪e]

/[seˈnot̪e]/ noun

The verdict

“cenote” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #65,950 among 77,812 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,950
frequency rank, Spanish
77,812
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Depresión geológica inundada de origen kárstico que se encuentra en algunas cavernas muy profundas, como consecuencia de haberse derrumbado el techo de una o varias cuevas. Ahí se juntan las aguas ...

Key facts for cenote
PropertyValue
Headwordcenote
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[seˈnot̪e]
Letters6
Frequency rank#65,950
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cenote” sits in Spanish 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). cenote lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cenote is uncommon Spanish at frequency #65,950 among 77,812 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [seˈnot̪e]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Depresión geológica inundada de origen kárstico que se encuentra en algunas cavernas muy profundas, como consecuencia de haberse derrumbado el techo de una o varias cuevas. Ahí se juntan las aguas ...".

cenote has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Spanish form is cenote, spelled C-E-N-O-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Depresión geológica inundada de origen kárstico que se encuentra en algunas cavernas muy profundas, como consecuencia de haberse derrumbado el techo de una o varias cuevas. Ahí se juntan las aguas subterráneas, formando un estanque más o menos profundo.

Synonyms

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 "cenote"?
"cenote" is spelled C-E-N-O-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is [seˈnot̪e].
What does "cenote" mean?
As a noun, "cenote" means: Depresión geológica inundada de origen kárstico que se encuentra en algunas cavernas muy profundas, como consecuencia de haberse derrumbado el techo de una o varias cuevas. Ahí se juntan las aguas ...
How do you pronounce "cenote"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cenote" is [seˈnot̪e]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cenote" come from?
"cenote" 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.

Using “cenote”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is C-E-N-O-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [seˈnot̪e] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words

Other uncommon Spanish words near this rank

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