creepy

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

/ˈkɹiːpi/

//ˈkɹiːpi// adj

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

The verdict

“creepy” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,671 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#6,671
frequency rank, English: 6
letters: 9
tracked misspellings: 15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Moving by creeping along.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

creepy vs crept

67% similar

creepy vs crispy

67% similar

creepy vs Cree

50% similar

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

Key facts for creepy
Property	Value
Headword	creepy
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ˈkɹiːpi/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#6,671
Misspellings tracked	9
Confusable pairs	15
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “creepy” 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). creepy lands here:

#6,671

#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 creepy is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɹiːpi/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,671 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for creepy, with forms such as "ccreepy", "cerepy", and "creeppy". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "crept", "crispy", "Cree", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *grewbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *kreupaną Proto-West Germanic *kreupan Old English crēopan Middle English crepen English creep Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle Engli… The correct English form is creepy, spelled C-R-E-E-P-Y.

Definition

1
Moving by creeping along.
2
Producing an uneasy fearful sensation, as of things crawling over one's skin.
3
Causing discomfort or repulsion due to strange or eccentric behavior.
4
Causing discomfort through exhibiting sexually inappropriate behavior.
5
Feeling an uneasy fearful sensation; creeped out.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *grewbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *kreupaną Proto-West Germanic *kreupan Old English crēopan Middle English crepen English creep Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English creepy From creep + -y.

This word in other languages

espeluznante(Español)angoissant(Français)kriechend(Deutsch)horripilante(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccreepy,cerepy,creeppy,creepyy,creeyp,crepey,crepy,crreepy,rceepy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of creepy - 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.

Edit distance from "creepy"

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 "creepy"?

"creepy" is spelled C-R-E-E-P-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹiːpi/.

What does "creepy" mean?

As an adjective, "creepy" means: Moving by creeping along.

What words are commonly confused with "creepy"?

"creepy" is commonly confused with "crept", "crispy", "Cree". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "creepy"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "creepy" is /ˈkɹiːpi/. 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 "creepy"?

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *grewbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *kreupaną Proto-West Germanic *kreupan Old English crēopan Middle English crepen English creep Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Mi... 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 “creepy”

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

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