crud

/kɹʌd/

//kɹʌd// noun

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

"crud" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“crud” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #45,306 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#45,306
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Dirt, filth or refuse.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

crud vs CU
0% similar
crud vs cut
50% similar
crud vs cup
50% similar

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

Key facts for crud
PropertyValue
Headwordcrud
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɹʌd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#45,306
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “crud” 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). crud 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 crud is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɹʌd/. Corpus data places it at rank #45,306 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for crud, with forms such as "ccrud", "crdu", and "crrud". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CU", "cut", "cup", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English crud, crudde (“coagulated milk; curd; any coagulated or thickened substance; dregs”), from Old English crūdan (“to press”). Doublet of curd. The correct English form is crud, spelled C-R-U-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dirt, filth or refuse.
  2. 2
    Something of poor quality.
  3. 3
    A contemptible person.
  4. 4
    Mixed impurities, especially wear and corrosion products in nuclear reactor coolant.
  5. 5
    A heavy wet snow on which it is difficult to travel.
  6. 6
    Feces; excrement.
  7. 7
    Venereal disease, or (by extension) any disease.
  8. 8
    A fast-paced game, loosely based on billiards or pool, with many players participating at the same time.
  9. 9
    Cottage cheese.

Etymology

From Middle English crud, crudde (“coagulated milk; curd; any coagulated or thickened substance; dregs”), from Old English crūdan (“to press”). Doublet of curd.

This word in other languages

basura(Español)merde(Français)Scheiße(Deutsch)esterco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccrud,crdu,crrud,crudd,rcud

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccrud1crdu2crrud1crudd1rcud2
Edit distance from "crud"

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 "crud"?
"crud" is spelled C-R-U-D. The IPA pronunciation is /kɹʌd/.
What does "crud" mean?
As a noun, "crud" means: Dirt, filth or refuse.
What words are commonly confused with "crud"?
"crud" is commonly confused with "CU", "cut", "cup". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "crud"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crud" is /kɹʌd/. 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 "crud"?
From Middle English crud, crudde (“coagulated milk; curd; any coagulated or thickened substance; dregs”), from Old English crūdan (“to press”). Doublet of curd. 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 “crud”

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

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