creep

\ˈkɹip\

/\ˈkɹip\/ noun

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

The verdict

“creep” is uncommon French (frequency #79,193 among 257,141 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,193
frequency rank, French
257,141
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Reptation.

Key facts for creep
PropertyValue
Headwordcreep
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˈkɹip\
Letters5
Frequency rank#79,193
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “creep” sits in French 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). creep 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

creep is uncommon French at frequency #79,193 among 257,141 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed \ˈkɹip\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 10 senses are on record.

creep has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct French form is creep, spelled C-R-E-E-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Reptation.
  2. 2
    Dérive ; petit écart sur une graduation, sur une mesure.
  3. 3
    Petit déplacement d’un objet.
  4. 4
    Se dit lorsque quelque chose dérive ou s’étend graduellement hors de ses limites, avec une connotation négative. Contamination, débordement.
  5. 5
    Fluage.
  6. 6
    Reptation (lent mouvement d’ensemble du sol sous l’effet de la gravité).
  7. 7
    Personne déplaisante, en particulier étrange ou excentrique, créant un malaise ou de la crainte.
  8. 8
    Personne ayant une attitude sexuelle déplacée, voire harcelante.
  9. 9
    Compartiment de dérobée, enceinte aménagée de sorte que seuls les petits animaux y ont accès.
  10. 10
    Réglage progressif, procédure unidirectionnelle de réglage d’artillerie consistant à tirer le premier coup de réglage en lieu sûr et à amener graduellement le tir sur l’objectif par petites corrections successives, utilisée lorsque la méthode de l’encadrement n’est pas possible à cause de la proximité des troupes amies.

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "creep"?
"creep" is spelled C-R-E-E-P. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈkɹip\.
What does "creep" mean?
As a noun, "creep" means: Reptation.
How do you pronounce "creep"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "creep" is \ˈkɹip\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "creep" come from?
"creep" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “creep”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-R-E-E-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈkɹip\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French 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