cunning

/ˈkʌnɪŋ/

//ˈkʌnɪŋ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“cunning” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,999 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#15,999
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cunning vs curing
71% similar
cunning vs cutting
71% similar
cunning vs curling
71% similar

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

Key facts for cunning
PropertyValue
Headwordcunning
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkʌnɪŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#15,999
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cunning” 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). cunning 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 cunning is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkʌnɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,999 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for cunning, with forms such as "ccunning", "cnuning", and "cuning". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "curing", "cutting", "curling", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cunning, kunning, konnyng, alteration of earlier Middle English cunninde, kunnende, cunnand, from Old English cunnende, present participle of cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”), equivalent to con + -ing. Cognate with Scots cunnand (“c… The correct English form is cunning, spelled C-U-N-N-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour.
  2. 2
    Skillful, artful.
  3. 3
    Wrought with, or exhibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious.
  4. 4
    Cute, appealing.

Etymology

From Middle English cunning, kunning, konnyng, alteration of earlier Middle English cunninde, kunnende, cunnand, from Old English cunnende, present participle of cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”), equivalent to con + -ing. Cognate with Scots cunnand (“cunning”), German könnend (“able to do”), Icelandic kunnandi (“cunning”). More at con, can.

This word in other languages

astuto(Español)rusé(Français)gerissen(Deutsch)astuto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccunning,cnuning,cuning,cuninng,cunnign,cunningg,cunninng,cunnnig,ucnning

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccunning1cnuning2cuning1cuninng2cunnign2cunningg1cunninng1cunnnig2
Edit distance from "cunning"

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 "cunning"?
"cunning" is spelled C-U-N-N-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌnɪŋ/.
What does "cunning" mean?
As an adjective, "cunning" means: Sly; crafty; clever in surreptitious behaviour.
What words are commonly confused with "cunning"?
"cunning" is commonly confused with "curing", "cutting", "curling". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cunning"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cunning" is /ˈkʌnɪŋ/. 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 "cunning"?
From Middle English cunning, kunning, konnyng, alteration of earlier Middle English cunninde, kunnende, cunnand, from Old English cunnende, present participle of cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”), equivalent to con + -ing. Cognate with Scots c... 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 “cunning”

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

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