cranky

/ˈkɹæŋki/

//ˈkɹæŋki// adj

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

"cranky" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cranky” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,793. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,793
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not in good working condition; defective, faulty.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cranky · cranky · English

cranky · rank #23,793 · 10 variants · 19 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,793
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 19 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH coz

Nearest frequency peer: coz (-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 “cranky”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cranky” 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).

cranky vs cray
67% similar
cranky vs crazy
67% similar
cranky vs crony
67% similar

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

Key facts for cranky
PropertyValue
Headwordcranky
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkɹæŋki/
Letters6
Frequency rank#23,793
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cranky”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).crankylands 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 “coz” (#23,792), “crept” (#23,794), “corrugated” (#23,791). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cranky” is #23,793. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around cranky (IPA /ˈkɹæŋki/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #23,793 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for cranky, with forms such as "carnky", "ccranky", and "crakny". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "cray", "crazy", "crony", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From crank + -y. Compare Middle Low German krankich (“sickly, unwell”). The correct English form is cranky, spelled C-R-A-N-K-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not in good working condition; defective, faulty.
  2. 2
    Grouchy, grumpy, irritable; easily upset.
  3. 3
    Not in perfect mental working order; eccentric, peculiar.
  4. 4
    Synonym of crank (“of a ship: liable to capsize because of poorly stowed cargo or insufficient ballast”).
  5. 5
    Full of spirit; spirited.
  6. 6
    Weak, unwell.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We had seven canoes, all of them dugouts. One was small, one was cranky, and two were old, waterlogged, and leaky. The other three were good.
  2. Margaret Cerullo gave a rousing speech, despite the pesky interruptions of a cranky sound system.

Etymology

From crank + -y. Compare Middle Low German krankich (“sickly, unwell”).

This word in other languages

mañoso(Español)grincheux(Français)gereizt(Deutsch)ranzinza(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • carnky
  • ccranky
  • crakny
  • crankky
  • crankyy
  • crannky
  • cranyk
  • crnaky
  • crranky
  • rcanky

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

carnky2ccranky1crakny2crankky1crankyy1crannky1cranyk2crnaky2
Edit distance from "cranky"

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 "cranky"?
"cranky" is spelled C-R-A-N-K-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹæŋki/.
What does "cranky" mean?
As an adjective, "cranky" means: Not in good working condition; defective, faulty.
What words are commonly confused with "cranky"?
"cranky" is commonly confused with "cray", "crazy", "crony". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cranky"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cranky" is /ˈkɹæŋki/. 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 "cranky"?
From crank + -y. Compare Middle Low German krankich (“sickly, unwell”). 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 "cranky", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

clique#23,784caviar#23,777caveat#23,776buyout#23,770

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

deluded10 variantsburnout10 variantsbayonet10 variantsexalted10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list