cap

\kap\

/\kap\/ noun

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

The verdict

“cap” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #2,029 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,029
frequency rank, French
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pointe de terre qui s’avance dans la mer.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cap vs ce
33% similar
cap vs ci
33% similar
cap vs co
33% similar

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

Key facts for cap
PropertyValue
Headwordcap
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kap\
Letters3
Frequency rank#2,029
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cap” sits in French 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). cap 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 French entry for cap is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kap\. Corpus data places it at rank #2,029 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for cap in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ce", "ci", "co", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is cap, spelled C-A-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pointe de terre qui s’avance dans la mer.
  2. 2
    Tête.
  3. 3
    Proue, de l’avant d’un bâtiment, considéré par rapport à la direction qu’on lui donne quand on navigue.
  4. 4
    Direction dans laquelle est orienté un bateau ou un aéronef en mouvement. A ne pas confondre avec la direction de la route, qui prend en compte la dérive.
  5. 5
    Direction dans laquelle on fait du chemin, cible.
  6. 6
    Direction dans laquelle on fait du chemin, cible.
  7. 7
    Direction dans laquelle on fait du chemin, cible.
  8. 8
    Étape symbolique d’un processus.

This word in other languages

cape(English)cabo(Español)Kap(Deutsch)cabo(Português)

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cap"?
"cap" is spelled C-A-P. The IPA pronunciation is \kap\.
What does "cap" mean?
As a noun, "cap" means: Pointe de terre qui s’avance dans la mer.
What words are commonly confused with "cap"?
"cap" is commonly confused with "ce", "ci", "co". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cap"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cap" is \kap\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cap" come from?
"cap" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “cap”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-A-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \kap\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “ce” - see the side-by-side comparison. cap vs ce
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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