crier

/ˈkɹaɪɚ/

//ˈkɹaɪɚ// noun

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

"crier" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“crier” is uncommon English (frequency #57,961 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,961
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who cries.

Key facts for crier
PropertyValue
Headwordcrier
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹaɪɚ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#57,961
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “crier” 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). crier lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Rare enough to double-check

crier is uncommon English at frequency #57,961 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɹaɪɚ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for crier, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English criour, cryour, crier, from Old French crieor (Modern French crieur), derived from the verb crier. By surface analysis, cry + -er. The correct English form is crier, spelled C-R-I-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who cries.
  2. 2
    An officer who proclaims the orders or directions of a court, or who gives public notice by loud proclamation, such as a town crier.

Etymology

From Middle English criour, cryour, crier, from Old French crieor (Modern French crieur), derived from the verb crier. By surface analysis, cry + -er.

This word in other languages

Schreier(Deutsch)

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 "crier"?
"crier" is spelled C-R-I-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹaɪɚ/.
What does "crier" mean?
As a noun, "crier" means: One who cries.
How do you pronounce "crier"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crier" is /ˈkɹaɪɚ/. 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 "crier"?
From Middle English criour, cryour, crier, from Old French crieor (Modern French crieur), derived from the verb crier. By surface analysis, cry + -er. 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 “crier”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-R-I-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɹaɪɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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