cri

/ˈkɾi/

//ˈkɾi// noun

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

The verdict

“cri” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #28,523 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a noun.

#28,523
frequency rank, Portuguese
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - povo indígena da América do Norte, que habitava desde as montanhas Rochosas até o oceano Atlântico, tanto nos Estados Unidos da América quanto no Canadá

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cri vs cu
33% similar
cri vs cut
33% similar
cri vs cry
67% similar

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

Key facts for cri
PropertyValue
Headwordcri
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɾi/
Letters3
Frequency rank#28,523
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cri” sits in Portuguese 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). cri 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 Portuguese entry for cri is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɾi/. Corpus data places it at rank #28,523 in overall Portuguese word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

cri doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Portuguese rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cu", "cut", "cry", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Portuguese form is cri, spelled C-R-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    povo indígena da América do Norte, que habitava desde as montanhas Rochosas até o oceano Atlântico, tanto nos Estados Unidos da América quanto no Canadá
  2. 2
    língua falada pelo povo cri

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cri"?
"cri" is spelled C-R-I. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɾi/.
What does "cri" mean?
As a noun, "cri" means: povo indígena da América do Norte, que habitava desde as montanhas Rochosas até o oceano Atlântico, tanto nos Estados Unidos da América quanto no Canadá
What words are commonly confused with "cri"?
"cri" is commonly confused with "cu", "cut", "cry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cri"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cri" is /ˈkɾi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cri" come from?
"cri" is a Portuguese word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “cri”

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

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