cutesy

/ˈkjutsi/

//ˈkjutsi// adj

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

"cutesy" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cutesy” is uncommon English (frequency #51,641 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,641
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Overly, affectedly or unnecessarily cute; too cute to be taken seriously.

Key facts for cutesy
PropertyValue
Headwordcutesy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkjutsi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#51,641
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cutesy” 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). cutesy lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cutesy is uncommon English at frequency #51,641 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈkjutsi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Overly, affectedly or unnecessarily cute; too cute to be taken seriously.".

cutesy has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From cute + -sy. The correct English form is cutesy, spelled C-U-T-E-S-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Overly, affectedly or unnecessarily cute; too cute to be taken seriously.

Etymology

From cute + -sy.

Synonyms

cutesy-wootsysaccharineprecioussyrupytwee

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 "cutesy"?
"cutesy" is spelled C-U-T-E-S-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkjutsi/.
What does "cutesy" mean?
As an adjective, "cutesy" means: Overly, affectedly or unnecessarily cute; too cute to be taken seriously.
How do you pronounce "cutesy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cutesy" is /ˈkjutsi/. 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 "cutesy"?
From cute + -sy. 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 “cutesy”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-U-T-E-S-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkjutsi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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