crux

/kɹʌks/

//kɹʌks// noun

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

The verdict

“crux” is uncommon Portuguese (frequency #97,562 among 3,948 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#97,562
frequency rank, Portuguese
3,948
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - característica ou ponto básico ou crítico

Key facts for crux
PropertyValue
Headwordcrux
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɹʌks/
Letters4
Frequency rank#97,562
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “crux” 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). crux 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

crux is uncommon Portuguese at frequency #97,562 among 3,948 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /kɹʌks/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for crux, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Portuguese rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Portuguese form is crux, spelled C-R-U-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    característica ou ponto básico ou crítico
  2. 2
    o ponto mais difícil de uma escalada

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 "crux"?
"crux" is spelled C-R-U-X. The IPA pronunciation is /kɹʌks/.
What does "crux" mean?
As a noun, "crux" means: característica ou ponto básico ou crítico
How do you pronounce "crux"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "crux" is /kɹʌks/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "crux" come from?
"crux" is a Portuguese word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “crux”

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

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

Other uncommon Portuguese 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