apocrypha

/əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/

//əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə// noun

"apocrypha" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“apocrypha” is an uncommon English word, ranked #54,013 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#54,013
frequency rank, English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - plural of apocryphon

Key facts for apocrypha
PropertyValue
Headwordapocrypha
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#54,013
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “apocrypha” sits in English 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). apocrypha 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 English entry for apocrypha is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/. Corpus data places it at rank #54,013 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "plural of apocryphon".

No generated misspelling entries exist for apocrypha in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English apocrypha, apocrifa, apocrif, from Late Latin apocryphus (“secret, not approved for public reading”), from Ancient Greek ἀπόκρυφος (apókruphos, “hidden, obscure”, thus “(books) of unknown authorship”), from ἀπό (apó, “from”) + κρύπτω (kr… The correct English form is apocrypha, spelled A-P-O-C-R-Y-P-H-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    plural of apocryphon

Etymology

From Middle English apocrypha, apocrifa, apocrif, from Late Latin apocryphus (“secret, not approved for public reading”), from Ancient Greek ἀπόκρυφος (apókruphos, “hidden, obscure”, thus “(books) of unknown authorship”), from ἀπό (apó, “from”) + κρύπτω (krúptō, “I hide”). Properly plural (the singular would be apocryphon), but commonly treated as a collective singular. “Apocryphal” meaning “of doubtful authenticity” is first attested in English in 1590.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "apocrypha"?
"apocrypha" is spelled A-P-O-C-R-Y-P-H-A. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/.
What does "apocrypha" mean?
As a noun, "apocrypha" means: plural of apocryphon
How do you pronounce "apocrypha"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "apocrypha" is /əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "apocrypha"?
From Middle English apocrypha, apocrifa, apocrif, from Late Latin apocryphus (“secret, not approved for public reading”), from Ancient Greek ἀπόκρυφος (apókruphos, “hidden, obscure”, thus “(books) of unknown authorship”), from ἀπό (apó, “from”) + ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 “apocrypha”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-P-O-C-R-Y-P-H-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈpɒk.ɹə.fə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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