# crackle

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɹækəl/ · frequency rank #37,868

## Definitions
1. A prolonged, frequent cracking sound; a fizzing, popping sound.
2. A style of glaze giving the impression of many small cracks.
3. The fifth derivative of the position vector with respect to time (after velocity, acceleration, jerk, and jounce), i.e. the rate of change of jounce.
4. Synonym of crackling (“crispy rind of roast pork”).

## Etymology
From Middle English crakelen, equivalent to crack + -le (frequentative suffix). The physics sense is part of a facetious sequence "snap, crackle, pop", after the mascots of Rice Krispies cereal.

## Easily confused with
- **cracks** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crackle-vs-cracks)
- **cradle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crackle-vs-cradle)
- **crack** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crack-vs-crackle)
- **cracked** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cracked-vs-crackle)
- **chuckle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chuckle-vs-crackle)
- **cracker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cracker-vs-crackle)

## Common misspellings (11)
`carckle`, `ccrackle`, `cracckle`, `crackel`, `crackkle`, `cracklle`, `craclke`, `crakcle`, `crcakle`, `crrackle`, `rcackle`

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