fruitcake
/ˈfɹuːt.keɪk/noun
fruitcake is spelled F-R-U-I-T-C-A-K-E: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 62,179th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, fruitcake means “A cake containing dried fruits and, optionally, nuts, citrus peel and spice; usually served in celebration of weddings and Christmas” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of fruitcake is fruitcakes.
How many letters and syllables are in fruitcake?
| Letters | 9: F-R-U-I-T-C-A-K-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 62,179th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is fruitcake?
Fruitcake appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 62,179th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce fruitcake?
- UK /ˈfɹuːt.keɪk/
Fruitcake has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-fruitcake.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with fruitcake
Also written: fruit-cake (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of fruitcake
- fruitcakes plural
- fruit-cake
- fruit cake
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fruitcake mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A cake containing dried fruits and, optionally, nuts, citrus peel and spice; usually served in celebration of weddings and Christmas.
- 2
colloquialderogatoryA crazy or eccentric person.
- 3
UScolloquialdatedderogatoryslangA homosexual male.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fruitcake in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | cake , taré , pédale, tante |
| German | Früchtebrot, Früchtekuchen , Verrückter, Spinner , Schwuchtel |
| Spanish | pastel de fruta |
| Portuguese | bicha, boiola, puto, viado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does fruitcake come from?
Compound of fruit + cake. First attested in c. 1687. Sense 2, predated by nutty as a fruitcake, was first attested in c. 1952.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).