criticality

/ˈkɹɪtɪˌkælɪti/

//ˈkɹɪtɪˌkælɪti// noun

"criticality" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“criticality” is uncommon English (frequency #60,737 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,737
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being critical.

Key facts for criticality
PropertyValue
Headwordcriticality
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹɪtɪˌkælɪti/
Letters11
Frequency rank#60,737
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “criticality” 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). criticality 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

criticality is uncommon English at frequency #60,737 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɹɪtɪˌkælɪti/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

criticality doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From critical + -ity. The correct English form is criticality, spelled C-R-I-T-I-C-A-L-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being critical.
  2. 2
    A disposition for purposeful thinking and acting guided by criteria that are considered to be contextually appropriate and that are expected to result in positive outcomes related to the purpose.
  3. 3
    The point at which a nuclear chain reaction becomes self-sustaining.

Etymology

From critical + -ity.

This word in other languages

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 "criticality"?
"criticality" is spelled C-R-I-T-I-C-A-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹɪtɪˌkælɪti/.
What does "criticality" mean?
As a noun, "criticality" means: The state of being critical.
How do you pronounce "criticality"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "criticality" is /ˈkɹɪtɪˌkælɪti/. 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 "criticality"?
From critical + -ity. 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 “criticality”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-R-I-T-I-C-A-L-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɹɪtɪˌkælɪti/ (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