cradle
/ˈkɹeɪdəl/
"cradle" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cradle” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,927 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #14,927
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 15
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A bed or cot for a baby, oscillating on rockers or swinging on pivots.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cradle |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkɹeɪdəl/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #14,927 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 15 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “cradle” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for cradle is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɹeɪdəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,927 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1A bed or cot for a baby, oscillating on rockers or swinging on pivots.
- 2The place of origin, or in which anything is nurtured or protected in the earlier period of existence.
- 3Infancy, or very early life.
- 4An 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.
- 5A tool used in mezzotint engraving, which, by a rocking motion, raises burrs on the surface of the plate, so as to prepare the ground.
- 6A 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.
- 7A case for a broken or dislocated limb.
- 8A frame to keep the bedclothes from contact with the sensitive parts of an injured person.
- 9A machine on rockers, used in washing out auriferous earth.
- 10A suspended scaffold used in shafts.
- 11A ribbing for vaulted ceilings and arches intended to be covered with plaster.
- 12A 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.
- 13A rest for the receiver of a telephone, or for certain computer hardware.
- 14A hand position allowing a contact ball to be held steadily on the back of the hand.
- 15A mechanical device for tilting and decanting a bottle of wine.
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.
This word in other languages
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.
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"?
What does "cradle" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "cradle"?
How do you pronounce "cradle"?
What is the origin of the word "cradle"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “cradle”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-R-A-D-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɹeɪdəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “crude” - see the side-by-side comparison. cradle vs crude
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.