cru

\kʁy\

/\kʁy\/ adj

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

The verdict

“cru” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,326 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,326
frequency rank, French
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui n’est pas cuit.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cru vs CV
0% similar
cru vs Ct
0% similar
cru vs Cs
0% similar

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

Key facts for cru
PropertyValue
Headwordcru
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\kʁy\
Letters3
Frequency rank#1,326
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cru” 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). cru 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 French entry for cru is 3 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \kʁy\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,326 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for cru, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CV", "Ct", "Cs", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is cru, spelled C-R-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui n’est pas cuit.
  2. 2
    Très indigeste.
  3. 3
    Qui ne cuit pas les légumes, qui ne dissout pas le savon, en parlant d’une eau.
  4. 4
    Qui n’a pas subi de transformation.
  5. 5
    Désagréable et dit sans aucun ménagement, sans prendre de précaution.
  6. 6
    Indécent.
  7. 7
    Qui ne se marie pas, qui ne se fond pas avec le ton qui l’avoisine, en parlant d’un ton en peinture.
  8. 8
    Qui tranche nettement, en parlant d’une couleur, d’une lumière, d’une ombre…
  9. 9
    En parlant du temps, froid et humide.
  10. 10
    Qualifie une eau dont la teneur en ions calcium et magnésium dépasse un certain seuil.

Antonyms

cuit

This word in other languages

raw(English)crudo(Español)roh(Deutsch)cru(Português)

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 "cru"?
"cru" is spelled C-R-U. The IPA pronunciation is \kʁy\.
What does "cru" mean?
As an adjective, "cru" means: Qui n’est pas cuit.
What words are commonly confused with "cru"?
"cru" is commonly confused with "CV", "Ct", "Cs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cru"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cru" is \kʁy\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cru" come from?
"cru" 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 “cru”

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

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