Cthulhu

/kəˈθuːlu/

//kəˈθuːlu// name

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

"cthulhu" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Cthulhu” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,268. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,268
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A gigantic fictional humanoid alien god being described with a head resembling an octopus and dragon wings and claws, around whom an insane cult developed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cthulhu · Cthulhu · English

Cthulhu · rank #39,268 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,268
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH CSP

Nearest frequency peer: CSP (-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 “Cthulhu”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “Cthulhu” 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 Cthulhu
PropertyValue
HeadwordCthulhu
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/kəˈθuːlu/
Letters7
Frequency rank#39,268
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Cthulhu”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).Cthulhulands 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 “CSP” (#39,267), “crunches” (#39,265), “crump” (#39,264). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “Cthulhu” is #39,268. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around Cthulhu (IPA /kəˈθuːlu/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #39,268 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A gigantic fictional humanoid alien god being described with a head resembling an octopus and dragon wings and claws, around whom an insane cult developed.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Cthulhu, with forms such as "ccthulhu", "chtulhu", and "cthhulhu". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Invented in 1926 by H.P. Lovecraft for his short story The Call of Cthulhu. Possibly based on chthonic (“dwelling under the earth”). The correct English form is Cthulhu, spelled C-T-H-U-L-H-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    A gigantic fictional humanoid alien god being described with a head resembling an octopus and dragon wings and claws, around whom an insane cult developed.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Then, bolder than the storied Cyclops, great Cthulhu slid greasily into the water and began to pursue with vast wave-raising strokes of cosmic potency.

Etymology

Invented in 1926 by H.P. Lovecraft for his short story The Call of Cthulhu. Possibly based on chthonic (“dwelling under the earth”).

This word in other languages

Cthulhu(Español)Cthulhu(Français)Cthulhu(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccthulhu
  • chtulhu
  • cthhulhu
  • cthluhu
  • cthuhlu
  • cthulhhu
  • cthullhu
  • cthuluh
  • ctthulhu
  • ctuhlhu
  • tchulhu

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccthulhu1chtulhu2cthhulhu1cthluhu2cthuhlu2cthulhhu1cthullhu1cthuluh2
Edit distance from "Cthulhu"

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 "Cthulhu"?
"Cthulhu" is spelled C-T-H-U-L-H-U. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈθuːlu/.
What does "Cthulhu" mean?
As a proper noun, "Cthulhu" means: A gigantic fictional humanoid alien god being described with a head resembling an octopus and dragon wings and claws, around whom an insane cult developed.
What are common misspellings of "Cthulhu"?
Common misspellings include "ccthulhu", "chtulhu", "cthhulhu", "cthluhu", "cthuhlu". The correct spelling is "Cthulhu".
How do you pronounce "Cthulhu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Cthulhu" is /kəˈθuːlu/. 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 "Cthulhu"?
Invented in 1926 by H.P. Lovecraft for his short story The Call of Cthulhu. Possibly based on chthonic (“dwelling under the earth”). 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 "Cthulhu", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cymbals#39,272Coppola#39,260carpool#39,235bristle#39,226

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

domicile11 variantsCanaries11 variantsbridged11 variantsbloodied11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list