critic

/ˈkɹɪt.ɪk/

//ˈkɹɪt.ɪk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“critic” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,670 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,670
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who appraises the works of others.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

critic vs cystic
67% similar
critic vs cryptic
71% similar
critic vs critical
75% similar

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

Key facts for critic
PropertyValue
Headwordcritic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹɪt.ɪk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,670
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “critic” 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). critic 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 critic is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɹɪt.ɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,670 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 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 critic, with forms such as "ccritic", "cirtic", and "criitc". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "cystic", "cryptic", "critical", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French critique, from Latin criticus, from Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós, “of or for judging, able to discern”), from κρίνω (krínō, “I judge”). The correct English form is critic, spelled C-R-I-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who appraises the works of others.
  2. 2
    A specialist in judging works of art.
  3. 3
    One who criticizes; a person who finds fault.
  4. 4
    An opponent.
  5. 5
    Obsolete form of critique (“an act of criticism”).
  6. 6
    Obsolete form of critique (“the art of criticism”).

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French critique, from Latin criticus, from Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós, “of or for judging, able to discern”), from κρίνω (krínō, “I judge”).

This word in other languages

crítico(Español)critique(Français)Kritiker(Deutsch)crítico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccritic,cirtic,criitc,critci,criticc,crittic,crritic,crtiic,rcitic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccritic1cirtic2criitc2critci2criticc1crittic1crritic1crtiic2
Edit distance from "critic"

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 "critic"?
"critic" is spelled C-R-I-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹɪt.ɪk/.
What does "critic" mean?
As a noun, "critic" means: A person who appraises the works of others.
What words are commonly confused with "critic"?
"critic" is commonly confused with "cystic", "cryptic", "critical". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "critic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "critic" is /ˈkɹɪt.ɪk/. 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 "critic"?
Borrowed from Middle French critique, from Latin criticus, from Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós, “of or for judging, able to discern”), from κρίνω (krínō, “I 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 “critic”

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

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