crocodile

\kʁɔ.kɔ.dil\

/\kʁɔ.kɔ.dil\/ noun

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

The verdict

“crocodile” has 13 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #16,851. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,851
frequency rank, French
257,141
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Reptile de l’ordre des crocodiliens, amphibie, couvert d’écailles et très redoutable par sa force et sa voracité.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

crocodile vs crocodiles
90% similar

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

Key facts for crocodile
PropertyValue
Headwordcrocodile
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\kʁɔ.kɔ.dil\
Letters9
Frequency rank#16,851
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “crocodile” 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). crocodile lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around crocodile (IPA \kʁɔ.kɔ.dil\), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,851 among 257,141 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for crocodile, with forms such as "ccrocodile", "corcodile", and "crcoodile". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "crocodiles", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct French form is crocodile, spelled C-R-O-C-O-D-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Reptile de l’ordre des crocodiliens, amphibie, couvert d’écailles et très redoutable par sa force et sa voracité.
  2. 2
    Peau ou cuir de cet animal.
  3. 3
    , souvent Individu dont des aspects sont comparés à ceux des crocodiles, animaux notamment voraces, dangereux, longévif.
  4. 4
    Presse à charnière qui sert au cinglage du fer.
  5. 5
    Dispositif placé entre les rails et dont le contact, au passage du train, envoie un signal à ce dernier.
  6. 6
    Type de locomotive électrique utilisé en Suisse au début du XXᵉ siècle, et par extension les locomotives de type CC 1100, CC 14000 et CC 14100 de la SNCF.
  7. 7
    Ôte-agrafes.
  8. 8
    Scie utilisée autrefois dans les carrières pour débiter les pierres tendres. Elle est actionnée par une seule personne, sa forme est trapézoïdale avec le plus petit côté près du manche, les dents sont inclinées vers l’utilisateur.
  9. 9
    Pince crocodile.
  10. 10
    Meuble représentant l’animal du même nom dans les armoiries. Il est généralement représenté de profil, passant ou arrêté contrairement au lézard qui est vu de dessus les pattes largement écartées du corps.

Synonyms

fer à repasser

This word in other languages

crocodile(English)cocodrilo(Español)Krokodil(Deutsch)crocodilo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccrocodile
  • corcodile
  • crcoodile
  • croccodile
  • crocdoile
  • crocoddile
  • crocodiel
  • crocodille
  • crocodlie
  • crocoidle
  • croocdile
  • crrocodile
  • rcocodile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of crocodile - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ccrocodile1corcodile2crcoodile2croccodile1crocdoile2crocoddile1crocodiel2crocodille1
Edit distance from "crocodile"

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 "crocodile"?
"crocodile" is spelled C-R-O-C-O-D-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \kʁɔ.kɔ.dil\.
What does "crocodile" mean?
As a noun, "crocodile" means: Reptile de l’ordre des crocodiliens, amphibie, couvert d’écailles et très redoutable par sa force et sa voracité.
What words are commonly confused with "crocodile"?
"crocodile" is commonly confused with "crocodiles". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "crocodile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crocodile" is \kʁɔ.kɔ.dil\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "crocodile" come from?
"crocodile" 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 “crocodile”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-R-O-C-O-D-I-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \kʁɔ.kɔ.dil\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “crocodiles” - see the side-by-side comparison. crocodile vs crocodiles
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Same frequency band

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