crotch

/kɹɑt͡ʃ/

//kɹɑt͡ʃ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“crotch” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,325 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,325
frequency rank, English
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The ventral area (very bottom) of the human body between where the legs fork from the torso, in the area of the genitals and anus.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

crotch vs crunch
67% similar
crotch vs crouch
83% similar
crotch vs crutch
83% similar

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

Key facts for crotch
PropertyValue
Headwordcrotch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɹɑt͡ʃ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#20,325
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “crotch” 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). crotch 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 crotch is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɹɑt͡ʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,325 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for crotch, with forms such as "ccrotch", "cortch", and "crocth". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "crunch", "crouch", "crutch", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Of disputed origin; two possibilities seem likely: * From Middle English croche, variant of crucche (“crutch”); compare crook. * From Middle English croche, variant of crouche (“cross, crozier”). The correct English form is crotch, spelled C-R-O-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    The ventral area (very bottom) of the human body between where the legs fork from the torso, in the area of the genitals and anus.
  2. 2
    Either the male or female genitalia.
  3. 3
    The area where something forks or branches: where a ramification takes place.
  4. 4
    In the three-ball carom game, a small space at each corner of the table.
  5. 5
    The open counter (negative space) formed by two downward strokes that meet at an internal acute angle, potentially above a vertex, as in the letters "V" and "Y".

Etymology

Of disputed origin; two possibilities seem likely: * From Middle English croche, variant of crucche (“crutch”); compare crook. * From Middle English croche, variant of crouche (“cross, crozier”).

Antonyms

branch

This word in other languages

horqueta(Español)fourche(Français)Gabelung(Deutsch)forquilha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccrotch,cortch,crocth,crotcch,crotchh,crothc,crottch,crrotch,crtoch,rcotch

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of crotch - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ccrotch1cortch2crocth2crotcch1crotchh1crothc2crottch1crrotch1
Edit distance from "crotch"

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 "crotch"?
"crotch" is spelled C-R-O-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /kɹɑt͡ʃ/.
What does "crotch" mean?
As a noun, "crotch" means: The ventral area (very bottom) of the human body between where the legs fork from the torso, in the area of the genitals and anus.
What words are commonly confused with "crotch"?
"crotch" is commonly confused with "crunch", "crouch", "crutch". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "crotch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crotch" is /kɹɑt͡ʃ/. 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 "crotch"?
Of disputed origin; two possibilities seem likely: * From Middle English croche, variant of crucche (“crutch”); compare crook. * From Middle English croche, variant of crouche (“cross, crozier”). 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 “crotch”

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

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