crack

/kɹæk/

//kɹæk// verb

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

"crack" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“crack” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,551. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,551
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - To form cracks.

Corpus desk

Index EN-crack · crack · English

crack · rank #3,551 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,551
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cousin

Nearest frequency peer: cousin (-1 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “crack”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “crack” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

crack vs crap
60% similar
crack vs cram
60% similar
crack vs cray
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for crack
PropertyValue
Headwordcrack
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kɹæk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,551
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “crack” 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). crack lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around crack (IPA /kɹæk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #3,551 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 25 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for crack, with forms such as "carck", "ccrack", and "cracck". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "crap", "cram", "cray", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English crakken, craken, from Old English cracian (“to resound, crack”), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn, from Proto-Germanic *krakōną (“to crack, crackle, shriek”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to resound, cry hoarsely”). Cogn… The correct English form is crack, spelled C-R-A-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To form cracks.
  2. 2
    To break apart under force, stress, or pressure.
  3. 3
    To become debilitated by psychological pressure.
  4. 4
    To break down or yield, especially under interrogation or torture.
  5. 5
    To make a cracking sound.
  6. 6
    To change rapidly in register.
  7. 7
    To alternate between high and low register in the process of eventually lowering.
  8. 8
    To make a sharply humorous comment.
  9. 9
    To realize that one is transgender.
  10. 10
    To make a crack or cracks in.
  11. 11
    To break open or crush to small pieces by impact or stress.
  12. 12
    To strike forcefully.
  13. 13
    To open slightly.
  14. 14
    To cause to yield under interrogation or other pressure.
  15. 15
    To solve a difficult problem.
  16. 16
    To overcome a security system or component.
  17. 17
    To cause to make a sharp sound.
  18. 18
    To tell (a joke).
  19. 19
    To break down (a complex molecule), especially with the application of heat: to pyrolyse.
  20. 20
    To circumvent software restrictions such as regional coding or time limits.
  21. 21
    To open a canned beverage, or any packaged drink or food.
  22. 22
    To brag; to boast.
  23. 23
    To be ruined or impaired; to fail.
  24. 24
    To barely reach or attain (a measurement or extent).
  25. 25
    To have sex with, especially penetrative sex.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how crack appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. It's been so dry, the ground is starting to crack.
  2. When I tried to stand on the chair, it cracked.

Etymology

From Middle English crakken, craken, from Old English cracian (“to resound, crack”), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn, from Proto-Germanic *krakōną (“to crack, crackle, shriek”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to resound, cry hoarsely”). Cognate with Scots crak (“to crack”), West Frisian kreakje (“to crack”), Dutch kraken (“to crunch, creak, squeak”), Low German kraken (“to crack”), German krachen (“to crash, crack, creak”), Lithuanian gi̇̀rgžděti (“to creak, squeak”), Old Armenian կարկաչ (karkačʻ), Sanskrit गर्जति (gárjati, “to roar, hum”). Compare typologically English crevice (<< Latin crepō), Bulgarian пукнатина (puknatina) (akin to пу́кам (púkam)), Russian тре́щина (tréščina) (akin to треск (tresk)), щель (ščelʹ) (akin to щёлкать (ščólkatʹ)).

This word in other languages

agrietarse(Español)se fissurer(Français)einreißen(Deutsch)rachar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • carck
  • ccrack
  • cracck
  • crackk
  • crakc
  • crcak
  • crrack
  • rcack

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of crack - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

carck2ccrack1cracck1crackk1crakc2crcak2crrack1rcack2
Edit distance from "crack"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "crack"?
"crack" is spelled C-R-A-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /kɹæk/.
What does "crack" mean?
As a verb, "crack" means: To form cracks.
What words are commonly confused with "crack"?
"crack" is commonly confused with "crap", "cram", "cray". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "crack"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crack" is /kɹæk/. 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 "crack"?
From Middle English crakken, craken, from Old English cracian (“to resound, crack”), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn, from Proto-Germanic *krakōną (“to crack, crackle, shriek”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to resound, cry hoarse... 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 "crack", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

boost#3,545Dutch#3,558foods#3,561hired#3,562

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

cousin8 variantskings8 variantstrash8 variantsremote8 variants
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