crabapple

Name: crabapple, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈkɹæbˌæpəl/

//ˈkɹæbˌæpəl// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“crabapple” is uncommon English (frequency #99,132 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,132
frequency rank, English: 43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of the wild species of apple tree, genus Malus, which generally yield small, bitter fruit (in comparison to domestic apples, Malus domestica).

Key facts for crabapple
Property	Value
Headword	crabapple
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈkɹæbˌæpəl/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#99,132
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “crabapple” 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). crabapple lands here:

#99,132

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

crabapple is uncommon English at frequency #99,132 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɹæbˌæpəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for crabapple, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From crab (“wild apple”) + apple. The correct English form is crabapple, spelled C-R-A-B-A-P-P-L-E.

Definition

1
Any of the wild species of apple tree, genus Malus, which generally yield small, bitter fruit (in comparison to domestic apples, Malus domestica).
2
The fruit of this tree.
3
An unpleasant person; a person who is crabby.

Etymology

From crab (“wild apple”) + apple.

This word in other languages

sagarmín(Español)coing(Français)Holzapfel(Deutsch)

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 "crabapple"?

"crabapple" is spelled C-R-A-B-A-P-P-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹæbˌæpəl/.

What does "crabapple" mean?

As a noun, "crabapple" means: Any of the wild species of apple tree, genus Malus, which generally yield small, bitter fruit (in comparison to domestic apples, Malus domestica).

How do you pronounce "crabapple"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crabapple" is /ˈkɹæbˌæpəl/. 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 "crabapple"?

From crab (“wild apple”) + apple. 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 “crabapple”

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

The one correct English spelling is C-R-A-B-A-P-P-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈkɹæbˌæpəl/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.