cradle

/ˈkɹeɪdəl/

//ˈkɹeɪdəl// noun

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

"cradle" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cradle” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,927. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,927
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A bed or cot for a baby, oscillating on rockers or swinging on pivots.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cradle · cradle · English

cradle · rank #14,927 · 9 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,927
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH correspond

Nearest frequency peer: correspond (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “cradle”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “cradle” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cradle vs crude
67% similar
cradle vs crane
67% similar
cradle vs crawl
67% similar

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

Key facts for cradle
PropertyValue
Headwordcradle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹeɪdəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#14,927
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cradle”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).cradlelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “correspond” (#14,926), “crappy” (#14,928), “correlated” (#14,925). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cradle” is #14,927. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around cradle (IPA /ˈkɹeɪdəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,927 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 15 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for cradle, with forms such as "cardle", "ccradle", and "craddle". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "crude", "crane", "crawl", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cradel, credel, from Old English cradol, from Proto-West Germanic *kradul, from Proto-Germanic *kradulaz, from Proto-Germanic *kradô (“(wicker) basket”). Related to cart. The correct English form is cradle, spelled C-R-A-D-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bed or cot for a baby, oscillating on rockers or swinging on pivots.
  2. 2
    The place of origin, or in which anything is nurtured or protected in the earlier period of existence.
  3. 3
    Infancy, or very early life.
  4. 4
    An implement consisting of a broad scythe for cutting grain, with a set of long fingers parallel to the scythe, designed to receive the grain, and to lay it evenly in a swath.
  5. 5
    A tool used in mezzotint engraving, which, by a rocking motion, raises burrs on the surface of the plate, so as to prepare the ground.
  6. 6
    A framework of timbers, or iron bars, moving upon ways or rollers, used to support, lift, or carry ships or other vessels, heavy guns, etc., as up an inclined plane, or across a strip of land, or in launching a ship.
  7. 7
    A case for a broken or dislocated limb.
  8. 8
    A frame to keep the bedclothes from contact with the sensitive parts of an injured person.
  9. 9
    A machine on rockers, used in washing out auriferous earth.
  10. 10
    A suspended scaffold used in shafts.
  11. 11
    A ribbing for vaulted ceilings and arches intended to be covered with plaster.
  12. 12
    A basket or apparatus in which, when a line has been made fast to a wrecked ship from the shore, the people are brought off from the wreck.
  13. 13
    A rest for the receiver of a telephone, or for certain computer hardware.
  14. 14
    A hand position allowing a contact ball to be held steadily on the back of the hand.
  15. 15
    A mechanical device for tilting and decanting a bottle of wine.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. No sooner was I crept out of my cradle / But I was made a king, at nine months old.
  2. the cradle that received thee at thy birth

Etymology

From Middle English cradel, credel, from Old English cradol, from Proto-West Germanic *kradul, from Proto-Germanic *kradulaz, from Proto-Germanic *kradô (“(wicker) basket”). Related to cart.

Synonyms

rockerrest

This word in other languages

cuna(Español)berceau(Français)Wiege(Deutsch)berço(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cardle
  • ccradle
  • craddle
  • cradel
  • cradlle
  • cralde
  • crdale
  • crradle
  • rcadle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cradle - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

cardle2ccradle1craddle1cradel2cradlle1cralde2crdale2crradle1
Edit distance from "cradle"

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 "cradle"?
"cradle" is spelled C-R-A-D-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹeɪdəl/.
What does "cradle" mean?
As a noun, "cradle" means: A bed or cot for a baby, oscillating on rockers or swinging on pivots.
What words are commonly confused with "cradle"?
"cradle" is commonly confused with "crude", "crane", "crawl". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cradle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cradle" is /ˈkɹeɪdəl/. 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 "cradle"?
From Middle English cradel, credel, from Old English cradol, from Proto-West Germanic *kradul, from Proto-Germanic *kradulaz, from Proto-Germanic *kradô (“(wicker) basket”). Related to cart. 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 "cradle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

crappy#14,928Dayton#14,931clowns#14,920chilly#14,916

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

diocese9 variantsbuckle9 variantsFulton9 variantsbridal9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list