# cruel vs cruelty

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### cruel
*adjective · IPA /ˈkɹuːəl/ · frequency rank #5,869*
Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless.

### cruelty
*noun · IPA /ˈkɹuː(ə)lti/ · frequency rank #10,186*
An indifference to suffering or pleasure in inflicting suffering.

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