crisp

/kɹɪsp/

//kɹɪsp// adj

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

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

The verdict

“crisp” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,193 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#11,193
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Senses relating to curliness.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

crisp vs CRS
0% similar
crisp vs CSP
0% similar
crisp vs crop
60% similar

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

Key facts for crisp
PropertyValue
Headwordcrisp
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kɹɪsp/
Letters5
Frequency rank#11,193
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “crisp” 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). crisp 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 crisp is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɹɪsp/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,193 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 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 crisp, with forms such as "ccrisp", "cirsp", and "crips". 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, "CRS", "CSP", "crop", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is derived partly from the following: * Etymology 1 sense 1: Middle English crisp (“curly, wavy”), from Old English crisp (“curly”), from Latin crispus (“of hair: crimped, curly”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kris-, from *(s)… The correct English form is crisp, spelled C-R-I-S-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Senses relating to curliness.
  2. 2
    Senses relating to curliness.
  3. 3
    Senses relating to curliness.
  4. 4
    Senses relating to curliness.
  5. 5
    Senses relating to brittleness.
  6. 6
    Senses relating to brittleness.
  7. 7
    Senses relating to brittleness.
  8. 8
    Senses relating to brittleness.
  9. 9
    Senses relating to brittleness.
  10. 10
    Senses relating to brittleness.
  11. 11
    Senses relating to brittleness.
  12. 12
    Senses relating to brittleness.

Etymology

The adjective is derived partly from the following: * Etymology 1 sense 1: Middle English crisp (“curly, wavy”), from Old English crisp (“curly”), from Latin crispus (“of hair: crimped, curly”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kris-, from *(s)ker- (“to bend; to turn”). * Etymology 1 sense 2: from the above, and probably also onomatopoeic, representing a crinkling or crunching sound. Doublet of crape and crepe. Adjective etymology 1 sense 2.2.3 (“of air, weather, etc.: cool and dry”) is transferred from a description of frost or snow as “crisp”, that is, crunchy. The noun is derived partly from the following: * Middle English crisp (“light, crinkled fabric; kind of pastry; crinkliness or roughness of skin”), from crisp (adjective) (see above). * Modern English crisp (adjective) (“having a consistency which is hard yet brittle”).

This word in other languages

crujiente(Español)croquant(Français)spröde(Deutsch)festivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccrisp,cirsp,crips,crispp,crissp,crrisp,crsip,rcisp

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccrisp1cirsp2crips2crispp1crissp1crrisp1crsip2rcisp2
Edit distance from "crisp"

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 "crisp"?
"crisp" is spelled C-R-I-S-P. The IPA pronunciation is /kɹɪsp/.
What does "crisp" mean?
As an adjective, "crisp" means: Senses relating to curliness.
What words are commonly confused with "crisp"?
"crisp" is commonly confused with "CRS", "CSP", "crop". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "crisp"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crisp" is /kɹɪsp/. 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 "crisp"?
The adjective is derived partly from the following: * Etymology 1 sense 1: Middle English crisp (“curly, wavy”), from Old English crisp (“curly”), from Latin crispus (“of hair: crimped, curly”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kris-,... 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 “crisp”

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

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