crux

/kɹʌks/

//kɹʌks// noun

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

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

The verdict

“crux” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,109. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,109
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The basic, central, or essential point or feature.

Corpus desk

Index EN-crux · crux · English

crux · rank #27,109 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,109
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH crowding

Nearest frequency peer: crowding (-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 “crux”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “crux” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

crux vs CU
0% similar
crux vs CX
0% similar
crux vs cut
50% similar

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

Key facts for crux
PropertyValue
Headwordcrux
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɹʌks/
Letters4
Frequency rank#27,109
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “crux”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).cruxlands 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 “crowding” (#27,108), “CST” (#27,110), “crossbow” (#27,107). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “crux” is #27,109. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around crux (IPA /kɹʌks/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,109 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for crux, with forms such as "ccrux", "crrux", and "cruxx". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CU", "CX", "cut", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin crux (“cross, wooden frame for execution”), possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, to bend”). Doublet of cross and crouch (“cross”). The correct English form is crux, spelled C-R-U-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    The basic, central, or essential point or feature.
  2. 2
    The critical or transitional moment or issue, a turning point.
  3. 3
    A puzzle or difficulty.
  4. 4
    The hardest point of a climb.
  5. 5
    A cross on a coat of arms.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The crux of her argument was that the roadways needed repair before anything else could be accomplished.
  2. The mad certitude of the ogre, Abel Tiffauges, that he stands at the crux of history and that he will be able to raise Prussia "to a higher power" (p. 180), contrasts sharply with the anxiety and doubt attendant upon most modern literary dreams.

Etymology

From Latin crux (“cross, wooden frame for execution”), possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, to bend”). Doublet of cross and crouch (“cross”).

This word in other languages

quid(Español)crux(Français)Wendepunkt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccrux
  • crrux
  • cruxx
  • crxu
  • curx
  • rcux

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of crux - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccrux1crrux1cruxx1crxu2curx2rcux2
Edit distance from "crux"

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 "crux"?
"crux" is spelled C-R-U-X. The IPA pronunciation is /kɹʌks/.
What does "crux" mean?
As a noun, "crux" means: The basic, central, or essential point or feature.
What words are commonly confused with "crux"?
"crux" is commonly confused with "CU", "CX", "cut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "crux"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crux" is /kɹʌks/. 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 "crux"?
From Latin crux (“cross, wooden frame for execution”), possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, to bend”). Doublet of cross and crouch (“cross”). 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 "crux", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cusp#27,112Cato#27,085emir#27,134beet#27,068

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Delia6 variantsCallum6 variantsBiggs6 variantsBessie6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list