# cringe vs crying

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### cringe
*verb · IPA /kɹɪnd͡ʒ/ · frequency rank #14,097*
To cower, flinch, recoil, shrink, or tense, as in disgust, embarrassment, or fear.

### crying
*adjective · IPA /ˈkɹaɪ̯.ɪŋ/ · frequency rank #2,666*
That cries.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cringe-vs-crying