cruel

[…]

/[…]/ adj

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

The verdict

“cruel” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - absichtlich gemein; absichtlich Schmerz oder Leid verursachend

Key facts for cruel
PropertyValue
Headwordcruel
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[…]
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cruel” sits in German frequency

cruel falls outside the top-100,000 ranked German words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

cruel is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed […]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "absichtlich gemein; absichtlich Schmerz oder Leid verursachend".

cruel doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. 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.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is cruel, spelled C-R-U-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    absichtlich gemein; absichtlich Schmerz oder Leid verursachend

Synonyms

atrociousbarbaricbarbarousbrutalbrutevicious

This word in other languages

cruel(Français)

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 "cruel"?
"cruel" is spelled C-R-U-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is […].
What does "cruel" mean?
As an adjective, "cruel" means: absichtlich gemein; absichtlich Schmerz oder Leid verursachend
How do you pronounce "cruel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cruel" is […]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cruel" come from?
"cruel" is a German 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 “cruel”

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

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