crisis

/ˈkɹaɪsɪs/

//ˈkɹaɪsɪs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“crisis” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,384 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,384
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

crisis vs cross
67% similar
crisis vs crisp
67% similar
crisis vs Crist
50% similar

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

Key facts for crisis
PropertyValue
Headwordcrisis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹaɪsɪs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,384
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “crisis” 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). crisis 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 crisis is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɹaɪsɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,384 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 crisis, with forms such as "ccrisis", "cirsis", and "criiss". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "cross", "crisp", "Crist", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin crisis, from Ancient Greek κρίσις (krísis, “a separating, power of distinguishing, decision, choice, election, judgment, dispute”), from κρίνω (krínō, “pick out, choose, decide, judge”). The correct English form is crisis, spelled C-R-I-S-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.
  2. 2
    An unstable situation, in political, social, economic or military affairs, especially one involving an impending abrupt change.
  3. 3
    A sudden change in the course of a disease, usually at which point the patient is expected to either recover or die.
  4. 4
    A traumatic or stressful change in a person's life.
  5. 5
    A point in a drama at which a conflict reaches a peak before being resolved.

Etymology

From Latin crisis, from Ancient Greek κρίσις (krísis, “a separating, power of distinguishing, decision, choice, election, judgment, dispute”), from κρίνω (krínō, “pick out, choose, decide, judge”).

This word in other languages

crisis(Español)crise(Français)Krise(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccrisis,cirsis,criiss,crisiss,crissi,crissis,crrisis,crsiis,rcisis

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of crisis - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccrisis1cirsis2criiss2crisiss1crissi2crissis1crrisis1crsiis2
Edit distance from "crisis"

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 "crisis"?
"crisis" is spelled C-R-I-S-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹaɪsɪs/.
What does "crisis" mean?
As a noun, "crisis" means: A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point.
What words are commonly confused with "crisis"?
"crisis" is commonly confused with "cross", "crisp", "Crist". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "crisis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crisis" is /ˈkɹaɪsɪs/. 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 "crisis"?
From Latin crisis, from Ancient Greek κρίσις (krísis, “a separating, power of distinguishing, decision, choice, election, judgment, dispute”), from κρίνω (krínō, “pick out, choose, decide, judge”). 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 “crisis”

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

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