crater

/ˈkɹeɪ.tə(ɹ)/

//ˈkɹeɪ.tə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“crater” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,893 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,893
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A hemispherical pit created by the impact of a meteorite or other object.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

crater vs crave
67% similar
crater vs craze
67% similar
crater vs Crete
50% similar

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

Key facts for crater
PropertyValue
Headwordcrater
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹeɪ.tə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,893
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “crater” 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). crater lands here:

#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 crater is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɹeɪ.tə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,893 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for crater, with forms such as "ccrater", "craetr", and "craterr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "crave", "craze", "Crete", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: First coined 1613, from Latin crātēr (“basin”), from Ancient Greek κρᾱτήρ (krātḗr, “mixing-bowl, wassail-bowl”). The correct English form is crater, spelled C-R-A-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hemispherical pit created by the impact of a meteorite or other object.
  2. 2
    The basin-like opening or mouth of a volcano, through which the chief eruption comes; similarly, the mouth of a geyser, about which a cone of silica is often built up.
  3. 3
    The pit left by the explosion of a mine or bomb.
  4. 4
    Any large, roughly circular depression or hole.
  5. 5
    Alternative spelling of krater (“vessel for mixing water and wine”).

Etymology

First coined 1613, from Latin crātēr (“basin”), from Ancient Greek κρᾱτήρ (krātḗr, “mixing-bowl, wassail-bowl”).

This word in other languages

cráter(Español)cratère(Français)Krater(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccrater,craetr,craterr,cratre,cratter,crrater,crtaer,rcater

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of crater - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccrater1craetr2craterr1cratre2cratter1crrater1crtaer2rcater2
Edit distance from "crater"

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 "crater"?
"crater" is spelled C-R-A-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹeɪ.tə(ɹ)/.
What does "crater" mean?
As a noun, "crater" means: A hemispherical pit created by the impact of a meteorite or other object.
What words are commonly confused with "crater"?
"crater" is commonly confused with "crave", "craze", "Crete". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "crater"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crater" is /ˈkɹeɪ.tə(ɹ)/. 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 "crater"?
First coined 1613, from Latin crātēr (“basin”), from Ancient Greek κρᾱτήρ (krātḗr, “mixing-bowl, wassail-bowl”). 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 “crater”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-R-A-T-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɹeɪ.tə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “crave” - see the side-by-side comparison. crater vs crave
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list