culprit

/ˈkʌlpɹɪt/

//ˈkʌlpɹɪt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“culprit” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,115. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,115
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The person or thing at fault for a problem or crime.

Corpus desk

Index EN-culprit · culprit · English

culprit · rank #17,115 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,115
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cuddle

Nearest frequency peer: cuddle (-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 “culprit”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “culprit” 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 culprit
PropertyValue
Headwordculprit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌlpɹɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#17,115
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “culprit”

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).culpritlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “cuddle” (#17,114), “Darius” (#17,116), “crabs” (#17,113). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “culprit” is #17,115. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around culprit (IPA /ˈkʌlpɹɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,115 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for culprit, with forms such as "cculprit", "cluprit", and "cullprit". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman cul. prit, contraction of culpable: prest (d'averrer nostre bille) 'guilty: ready (to prove our case)', words used by prosecutor in opening a trial, mistaken in English for an address to the defendant. See culpable. It may have been influe… The correct English form is culprit, spelled C-U-L-P-R-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The person or thing at fault for a problem or crime.
  2. 2
    A prisoner accused but not yet tried.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I have tightened the loose bolt that was the culprit; it should work now.
  2. Another sits beneath the purple canopy—a lady, but alone. The diadem is on her cold and haughty brow; there is no pity in her stern aspect, and the smile on her lip bodes death. Before her stands the lovely culprit, whose fatal beauty, and still more fatal love, are about to be dearly requited.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman cul. prit, contraction of culpable: prest (d'averrer nostre bille) 'guilty: ready (to prove our case)', words used by prosecutor in opening a trial, mistaken in English for an address to the defendant. See culpable. It may have been influenced by Latin culpa (“blame, fault”).

This word in other languages

culpable(Español)coupable(Français)Beschuldigter(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cculprit
  • cluprit
  • cullprit
  • culpirt
  • culpprit
  • culpritt
  • culprrit
  • culprti
  • culrpit
  • cuplrit
  • uclprit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of culprit - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

cculprit1cluprit2cullprit1culpirt2culpprit1culpritt1culprrit1culprti2
Edit distance from "culprit"

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 "culprit"?
"culprit" is spelled C-U-L-P-R-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌlpɹɪt/.
What does "culprit" mean?
As a noun, "culprit" means: The person or thing at fault for a problem or crime.
What are common misspellings of "culprit"?
Common misspellings include "cculprit", "cluprit", "cullprit", "culpirt", "culpprit". The correct spelling is "culprit".
How do you pronounce "culprit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "culprit" is /ˈkʌlpɹɪt/. 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 "culprit"?
From Anglo-Norman cul. prit, contraction of culpable: prest (d'averrer nostre bille) 'guilty: ready (to prove our case)', words used by prosecutor in opening a trial, mistaken in English for an address to the defendant. See culpable. It may have b... 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 "culprit", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Ellison#17,126Carlson#17,096bribery#17,091braking#17,090

Similar misspelling depth

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

conceive11 variantscleavage11 variantsbatsman11 variantsHartley11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list