crabapple

/ˈkɹæbˌæpəl/

//ˈkɹæbˌæpəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“crabapple” is uncommon English (frequency #99,132 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,132
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of the wild species of apple tree, genus Malus, which generally yield small, bitter fruit (in comparison to domestic apples, Malus domestica).

Corpus desk

Index EN-crabapple · crabapple · English

crabapple · rank #99,132 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #99,132
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH counterargume…

Nearest frequency peer: counterargument (-3 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “crabapple”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “crabapple” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for crabapple
PropertyValue
Headwordcrabapple
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹæbˌæpəl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#99,132
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “crabapple” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).crabapplefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “counterargument” (#99,129), “crake” (#99,135), “Cristi” (#99,138). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “crabapple” is #99,132. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

crabapple is uncommon English at frequency #99,132 among 5,599 “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. 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. 2
    The fruit of this tree.
  3. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "crabapple", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

crustacea#99,140curiouser#99,146collinear#99,117codeshare#99,113

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list