# cranium

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɹeɪ.ni.əm/ · frequency rank #44,716

## Definitions
1. That part of the skull consisting of the bones enclosing the brain, but not including the bones of the face or jaw.
2. The upper portion of the skull, including the neurocranium and facial bones, but not including the jawbone (mandible).
3. Synonym of skull.

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin crānium (“skull”), from Ancient Greek κρᾱνίον (krāníon, “skull”). By surface analysis, crani- + -um.

## Easily confused with
- **cranial** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cranial-vs-cranium)

## Common misspellings (10)
`carnium`, `ccranium`, `crainum`, `cranimu`, `craniumm`, `crannium`, `cranuim`, `crnaium`, `crranium`, `rcanium`

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