# cramp

> English word · Noun · IPA /kɹæmp/ · frequency rank #27,418

## Definitions
1. A painful contraction of a muscle which cannot be controlled; (sometimes) a similar pain even without noticeable contraction.
2. That which confines or contracts.
3. A clamp for carpentry or masonry.
4. A piece of wood having a curve corresponding to that of the upper part of the instep, on which the upper leather of a boot is stretched to give it the requisite shape.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *krampôder.
Frankish *krampōder.
Proto-Germanic *krampôder.
Middle Dutch crampeder.
Old French crampebor.
Middle English crampe
English cramp
From Middle English crampe, from Old French crampe (“cramp”), from Frankish *krampa (“cramp”), from Proto-West Germanic *krampu, from Proto-Germanic *krampō (“cramp, clasp”). Distant relative of English crop.

## Easily confused with
- **CRM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crm)
- **crap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crap)
- **crop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crop)
- **cray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-cray)
- **crim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crim)
- **crazy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crazy)
- **crime** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crime)
- **cream** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-cream)
- **crash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crash)
- **crane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crane)
- **creep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-creep)
- **crawl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crawl)
- **crisp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crisp)
- **crank** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crank)
- **crate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crate)
- **crave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crave)
- **craze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-craze)
- **crumb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crumb)
- **crass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-crass)
- **craps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cramp-vs-craps)

## Common misspellings (8)
`carmp`, `ccramp`, `crammp`, `crampp`, `crapm`, `crmap`, `crramp`, `rcamp`

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