cromlech

/ˈkɹɒmlɛk/

//ˈkɹɒmlɛk// noun

"cromlech" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cromlech” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A dolmen or ancient underground tomb in Wales, usually made with stones disposed in a circular shape.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cromlech · cromlech · English

cromlech · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for cromlech
PropertyValue
Headwordcromlech
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹɒmlɛk/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cromlech” in English

cromlechfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cromlech is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɹɒmlɛk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A dolmen or ancient underground tomb in Wales, usually made with stones disposed in a circular shape.".

No misspelling variants are generated for cromlech in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Welsh, from crom (“bowed, arched”, feminine of crwm) + llech (“flat stone”). First element is a Germanic borrowing (compare Irish crom (“bent over”)) from Proto-Germanic *krumpaz; second element is from Proto-Celtic *ɸlikkā, compare German Fläche (“fla… The correct English form is cromlech, spelled C-R-O-M-L-E-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dolmen or ancient underground tomb in Wales, usually made with stones disposed in a circular shape.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The scenes depicted on the emunctory field, showing our ancient duns and raths and cromlechs and grianauns and seats of learning and maledictive stones, are as wonderfully beautiful and the pigments as delicate as when the Sligo illuminators gave free rein to their artistic fantasy long long ago in the time of the Barmecides.

Etymology

From Welsh, from crom (“bowed, arched”, feminine of crwm) + llech (“flat stone”). First element is a Germanic borrowing (compare Irish crom (“bent over”)) from Proto-Germanic *krumpaz; second element is from Proto-Celtic *ɸlikkā, compare German Fläche (“flat surface”).

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cromlech"?
"cromlech" is spelled C-R-O-M-L-E-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹɒmlɛk/.
What does "cromlech" mean?
As a noun, "cromlech" means: A dolmen or ancient underground tomb in Wales, usually made with stones disposed in a circular shape.
How do you pronounce "cromlech"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cromlech" is /ˈkɹɒmlɛk/. 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 "cromlech"?
From Welsh, from crom (“bowed, arched”, feminine of crwm) + llech (“flat stone”). First element is a Germanic borrowing (compare Irish crom (“bent over”)) from Proto-Germanic *krumpaz; second element is from Proto-Celtic *ɸlikkā, compare German Fl... 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list