crocodile

/ˈkɹɑkədaɪl/

//ˈkɹɑkədaɪl// noun

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

"crocodile" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“crocodile” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,139. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,139
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of the predatory amphibious reptiles of the family Crocodylidae; (loosely) a crocodilian, any species of the order Crocodilia, which also includes the alligators, caimans and gavials.

Corpus desk

Index EN-crocodile · crocodile · English

crocodile · rank #15,139 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,139
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Coventry

Nearest frequency peer: Coventry (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “crocodile”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “crocodile” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for crocodile
PropertyValue
Headwordcrocodile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹɑkədaɪl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,139
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “crocodile”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).crocodilelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Coventry” (#15,138), “Cub” (#15,140), “corrupted” (#15,137). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “crocodile” is #15,139. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around crocodile (IPA /ˈkɹɑkədaɪl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,139 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for crocodile, with forms such as "ccrocodile", "corcodile", and "crcoodile". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cocodrill, cokadrill, cokedril, from Old French cocodril (modern French crocodile), from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, from Latin crocodilus, from Ancient Greek κροκόδειλος (krokódeilos). The word was later refashioned after the Latin and … The correct English form is crocodile, spelled C-R-O-C-O-D-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of the predatory amphibious reptiles of the family Crocodylidae; (loosely) a crocodilian, any species of the order Crocodilia, which also includes the alligators, caimans and gavials.
  2. 2
    A long line or procession of people (especially children) walking together.
  3. 3
    A fallacious dilemma, mythically supposed to have been first used by a crocodile.
  4. 4
    greedy or corrupt person (especially a politician or any public official)

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how crocodile appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The Roman poet Horace states that the excrement of the crocodile has aphrodisiac virtues.
  2. Industrial and rural expansion is shrinking and destroying the Nile crocodile's natural habitat. The Nile crocodiles, in particular, have been a source of highly durable leather for a variety of products which can be crafted and manufactured.

Etymology

From Middle English cocodrill, cokadrill, cokedril, from Old French cocodril (modern French crocodile), from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, from Latin crocodilus, from Ancient Greek κροκόδειλος (krokódeilos). The word was later refashioned after the Latin and Greek forms. Doublet of krokodil.

Synonyms

croc

This word in other languages

cocodrilo(Español)crocodile(Français)Krokodil(Deutsch)crocodilo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccrocodile
  • corcodile
  • crcoodile
  • croccodile
  • crocdoile
  • crocoddile
  • crocodiel
  • crocodille
  • crocodlie
  • crocoidle
  • croocdile
  • crrocodile
  • rcocodile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccrocodile1corcodile2crcoodile2croccodile1crocdoile2crocoddile1crocodiel2crocodille1
Edit distance from "crocodile"

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 "crocodile"?
"crocodile" is spelled C-R-O-C-O-D-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹɑkədaɪl/.
What does "crocodile" mean?
As a noun, "crocodile" means: Any of the predatory amphibious reptiles of the family Crocodylidae; (loosely) a crocodilian, any species of the order Crocodilia, which also includes the alligators, caimans and gavials.
What are common misspellings of "crocodile"?
Common misspellings include "ccrocodile", "corcodile", "crcoodile", "croccodile", "crocdoile". The correct spelling is "crocodile".
How do you pronounce "crocodile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crocodile" is /ˈkɹɑkədaɪl/. 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 "crocodile"?
From Middle English cocodrill, cokadrill, cokedril, from Old French cocodril (modern French crocodile), from Medieval Latin cocodrillus, from Latin crocodilus, from Ancient Greek κροκόδειλος (krokódeilos). The word was later refashioned after the ... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "crocodile", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

corrupted#15,137clarified#15,129botanical#15,112fisherman#15,169

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Coventry13 variantsbursting13 variantsautograph13 variantshomestead13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list