crackling
/ˈkɹæk(ə)lɪŋ/noun, adjective, verb
crackling is spelled C-R-A-C-K-L-I-N-G: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, crackling means “Fat that, after roasting a joint, hardens and crispens” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of crackling is cracklings.
How many letters and syllables are in crackling?
| Letters | 9: C-R-A-C-K-L-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 32,393rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is crackling?
Crackling appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce crackling?
- /ˈkɹæk(ə)lɪŋ/
Crackling has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-crackling.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-crackling.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of crackling
- cracklings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does crackling mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
USFat that, after roasting a joint, hardens and crispens
- 2
The crispy rind of roast pork.
- 3
A crispy, fried skin or rind, especially of pork.
- 4
The making of small, sharp cracks or reports, frequently repeated.
the bangs and cracklings of fireworks
- 5
obsoleteFood for dogs, made from the refuse of tallow melting.
- 6
Three stripes of velvet worn on the sleeves of students at St John's College, Cambridge.
adjective
- 1
Sounding with small, sharp cracks or reports, frequently repeated.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of crackle
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Crackling in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense fat that has hardened and is crisp after cooking:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | couenne rissolee |
| German | Griebenschmalz |
| Portuguese | torresmo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does crackling come from?
By surface analysis, crackle + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).