cranberry

/ˈkræn.b(ə).ri/

//ˈkræn.b(ə).ri// noun

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

"cranberry" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cranberry” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,225. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,225
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A shrub belonging to the section Vaccinium sect. Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cranberry · cranberry · English

cranberry · rank #23,225 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #23,225
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH councilman

Nearest frequency peer: councilman (-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 “cranberry”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cranberry” 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).

cranberry vs Canberra
67% similar

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

Key facts for cranberry
PropertyValue
Headwordcranberry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkræn.b(ə).ri/
Letters9
Frequency rank#23,225
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cranberry”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).cranberrylands 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 “councilman” (#23,224), “croft” (#23,227), “conveys” (#23,222). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cranberry” is #23,225. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around cranberry (IPA /ˈkræn.b(ə).ri/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,225 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for cranberry, with forms such as "carnberry", "ccranberry", and "crabnerry". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Canberra", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Adapted in the 1640s from Dutch Low Saxon or German Low German Kraanbeere, from Kraan m (which means and is cognate to crane) + Beere f (which means and is cognate to berry). Equivalent to cran- + berry. Via PIE cognate with Polish żurawina, Russian журави́… The correct English form is cranberry, spelled C-R-A-N-B-E-R-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A shrub belonging to the section Vaccinium sect. Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium.
  2. 2
    The edible red berry of that shrub.
  3. 3
    An intense red colour, like that of a cranberry.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. That concertina was a wonder in its way. The handles that was on it first was wore out long ago, and he'd made new ones of braided rope yarn. And the bellows was patched in more places than a cranberry picker's overalls.

Etymology

Adapted in the 1640s from Dutch Low Saxon or German Low German Kraanbeere, from Kraan m (which means and is cognate to crane) + Beere f (which means and is cognate to berry). Equivalent to cran- + berry. Via PIE cognate with Polish żurawina, Russian журави́ка (žuravíka) (akin to жура́вль (žurávlʹ, “crane”)); Latvian dzērvene < dzērve (“crane”).

This word in other languages

arándano(Español)canneberge(Français)Moosbeere(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • carnberry
  • ccranberry
  • crabnerry
  • cranbberry
  • cranberryy
  • cranbery
  • cranberyr
  • cranbrery
  • cranebrry
  • crannberry
  • crnaberry
  • crranberry
  • rcanberry

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cranberry - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

carnberry2ccranberry1crabnerry2cranbberry1cranberryy1cranbery1cranberyr2cranbrery2
Edit distance from "cranberry"

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 "cranberry"?
"cranberry" is spelled C-R-A-N-B-E-R-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkræn.b(ə).ri/.
What does "cranberry" mean?
As a noun, "cranberry" means: A shrub belonging to the section Vaccinium sect. Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium.
What words are commonly confused with "cranberry"?
"cranberry" is commonly confused with "Canberra". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cranberry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cranberry" is /ˈkræn.b(ə).ri/. 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 "cranberry"?
Adapted in the 1640s from Dutch Low Saxon or German Low German Kraanbeere, from Kraan m (which means and is cognate to crane) + Beere f (which means and is cognate to berry). Equivalent to cran- + berry. Via PIE cognate with Polish żurawina, Russi... 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 "cranberry", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

deceiving#23,230congested#23,216concordia#23,214clutching#23,208

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

circulate13 variantscentrist13 variantscapacitor13 variantseuthanasia13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list