Prefix · concealment · secret
Means "hidden" or "secret": cryptography, cryptocurrency, cryptic, cryptogram, cryptologist.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Crypto- comes from Greek "kryptos" (hidden, secret, concealed) and appears in security, science, and language. Cryptography = secret writing; cryptocurrency = encrypted currency; cryptic = of hidden meaning; cryptogram = a message in secret code. Spanish equivalent "cripto-": criptografía, criptomoneda, críptico, criptograma.
Crypto- connects past and present: medieval crypts were hidden underground spaces; cryptograms were used in espionage; today cryptography protects internet data, and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin use cryptographic algorithms to secure transactions. The prefix also appears in natural science: cryptobiology, cryptozoology (study of legendary creatures).
Combines with Greek and Latin roots in security, science, and language:
Pronunciation: /ˈkrɪp.toʊ/. Spanish cognates: criptografía (cryptography), criptomoneda (cryptocurrency), críptico (cryptic), criptograma (cryptogram). "Cripto" is used informally in Spanish for cryptocurrency.
crypto-/ˈkrɪp.toʊ/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Rule of thumb: if a message is mysterious and hard to interpret, use "cryptic"; if someone is judging or reviewing something, use "critical/critic". Different Greek roots: kryptos (hidden) vs. krinein (to judge).
A trick to remember it
Crypto- = hidden, secret. Spanish cognates: criptografía (cryptography), criptomoneda (cryptocurrency), críptico (cryptic), criptograma (cryptogram). Rule: anything encoded, concealed, or in code carries crypto-.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
When a message is described as "cryptic", it means...
The prefix crypto- means "hidden" or "secret": cryptography, cryptocurrency, cryptic, cryptogram, cryptologist. In Spanish it usually maps to cripto-.
The prefix crypto- is pronounced /ˈkrɪp.toʊ/. For example, "cryptography".
"graphy" becomes "cryptography". It is a typical example of the crypto- prefix.
Signals beyond, transformation, or self-reference: metaphor, metamorphosis, metadata, metaverse.
Signals something new or a revival of something earlier: neologism, neoclassical, neonatal.
Signals something false or pretending to be what it is not: pseudonym, pseudoscience, pseudocode.
un-, re-, pre-, dis-, over-, in-... every beginning you need to unlock thousands of English words at once.