Calvary vs. Cavalry – How to Use Each Correctly

qesnewyork

Calvary vs. Cavalry – What’s the Gist?

The reason for the uncertainty between these two words is a combination of sloppy diction and the metathetical nature of the terms.

  • Calvary \kal v(ə) rē\ is a geographical noun.
  • Cavalry \ka vəl rē\ is a noun, meaning an element of the army, mounted on horseback.

Ultimately, enunciating each word carefully will help solve this problem.

calvary versus calvary

How to Use Calvary in a Sentence

Calvary definition: As a geographical place, the noun Calvary has a layered connotation. It means an open-air presentation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Additionally, Calvary (also called Golgotha in Hebrew) is the proper noun of the place where Jesus was physically crucified nearly two millennia ago. Furthermore, this word can also reflect a personal experience of usually intense mental suffering.

For example:

  • During the performance of the Passion Play, the audience anxiously watched the intense scene of calvary. (Noun)
  • After breathing his last, Jesus died on the cross at Calvary. (Proper Noun)
  • The prisoner of war was experiencing his own psychological calvary. (Noun)

Calvary is pronounced just one way \kal v(ə) rē\.

How to Use Cavalry in a Sentence

Cavalry definition: Cavalry is a component in the army that uses mounted soldiers on horses. Today, the cavalry is also mechanized—moving in motor vehicles or helicopters that are assigned to combat missions requiring mobility.

For example:

  • Colonel Potter served in the U. S. Cavalry. (Proper Noun)
  • The cavalry was sent to relieve the ground troops. (Noun)
  • Today, the army uses a mechanized cavalry as one more weapon in its arsenal. (Noun)

Although the correct pronunciation for cavalry is \ka vəl rē\, it is the nonstandard pronunciation of cavalry as \kal və rē\ that contributes to the misunderstanding between this word pairing. The sound for the letter l should really follow the second syllable rather than the first one.

One other interesting tidbit: This pairing reveals the phenomenon of something called metathesis, which means that two phonemes in a word have been transposed. In the case of cavalry, it results in it being mispronounced.

Outside Examples of Calvary vs. Cavalry

  • In January, at a hot street-racing spot along Review Avenue in Long Island City, a racer nicknamed Mello smashed into a street pole at high speed. Paramedics pronounced him dead on the scene. Spookily, the spot, in the shadow of the Kosciuszko Bridge, is known as “Cemetery” for the Calvary graveyard that lies alongside it. –New York Post
  • What’s his favorite hymn? The Welsh hymn “Bryn Calfaria,” or Calvary Hill, which he says is best in the original Welsh. –USA Today
  • The rifle the FBI returned Friday is only one of two signed and dated examples of Oerter’s work known to still exist. The other, housed in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, was given in the early 1800s to the future King George IV, then the Prince of Wales, by a British cavalry officer who served in the war. –The Philadelphia Inquirer
  • A shot tower on a bluff facing the castle was used by both sides during the Civil War. Union troops took over the cliffside and established a cavalry barracks on the estate. –The Wall Street Journal

Phrases That Use Calvary and Cavalry

As you can imagine, as a proper noun, there are not any phrases dealing with the word Calvary. There are a couple of phrases that use the word cavalry, including:

Light cavalry: Lightly armed troops mounted on horses.

  • The light cavalry quickly went charging into battle.

Send in the cavalry: The need to have quick reinforcements sent into battle.

  • Because the troops were losing ground, the general called, “Send in the cavalry!”

How to Remember These Words

To help you remember, keep in mind that one derivation from cavalry is the word cavalier. The noun means someone trained in arms and horsemanship. Since the words start with the same five letters, you see the correlation.

Interestingly enough, though, the adjective of cavalier means to possess an offhand dismissal of important matters. For people of faith, being cavalier toward Calvary would be extremely disrespectful.

So, match cavalier to cavalry and you’ll be safe both grammatically and ecumenically.

For example:

  • Being left a widow with antagonist in-laws and stepchildren proved to be an excruciating Calvary for the woman to bear.
  • The chivalrous cavalier rode in the front of the cavalry.

Article Summary

Is Calvary or cavalry correct? The mix-up originates in how closely alike these two words are spelled, but neither Calvary nor cavalry are interchangeable.

As you can see, they share the same seven letters, making it very easy to mistakenly mix-up the words. While careful diction will help with saying the words properly, knowing the definitions will help you write the right word.

  • Calvary is usually a proper noun, referencing Jesus’ crucifixion.
  • Cavalry is also a noun, referring to mounted soldiers.