cranberry

Name: cranberry, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈkræn.b(ə).ri/

//ˈkræn.b(ə).ri// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“cranberry” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,225 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#23,225
frequency rank, English: 9
letters: 13
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A shrub belonging to the section Vaccinium sect. Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium.

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
Property	Value
Headword	cranberry
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈkræn.b(ə).ri/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#23,225
Misspellings tracked	13
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cranberry” sits in English frequency

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

#23,225

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for cranberry is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkræn.b(ə).ri/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,225 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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

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.

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.

Using “cranberry”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is C-R-A-N-B-E-R-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈkræn.b(ə).ri/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Canberra” - see the side-by-side comparison. cranberry vs Canberra
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.