Pronunciation: [kɹˈɛtɪnz] (IPA) 
"Cretins" is a plural noun referring to a person who is mentally challenged. The word is spelled with the letter "e" after the letter "t" and pronounced as /ˈkriːtɪnz/ using the international phonetic alphabet (IPA). The reason for spelling the word with an "e" is to show that the preceding "t" is pronounced as a voiceless consonant. The word may also be spelled with an apostrophe (cretin's) to denote possession or contraction.
Cretins is a plural noun that refers to individuals who are characterized by severe mental and physical retardation or impairment. The term originated from the French word "crétin," which was historically used to describe someone afflicted with congenital hypothyroidism, a condition caused by an underactive or absent thyroid gland. Congenital hypothyroidism leads to stunted mental and physical development, resulting in profound intellectual disabilities and often physical deformities.
Today, however, the term cretins is considered offensive and derogatory. It is no longer used as a clinical or medical term to describe individuals with disabilities. Instead, it has become a pejorative term used to insult or belittle someone by implying that they possess significant intellectual deficiencies or lack common sense.
Due to the derogatory nature of the word, it is important to be mindful and sensitive when discussing individuals with disabilities, opting for respectful and inclusive language instead. Inclusive terms such as "people with intellectual disabilities" or "individuals with developmental disabilities" should be utilized to emphasize equality, respect, and compassion for all members of society, regardless of their abilities.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "cretins" comes from the French term "chrétien", which means "Christian". It originated from the expression "crétin des Alpes", which was used to describe people from the Alpine regions of Europe who were affected by a congenital condition called cretinism. Cretinism is caused by an iodine deficiency during early childhood and results in severe physical and mental impairments. The term "cretin" was later adopted in English and expanded to refer to people with intellectual disabilities or those perceived as foolish or stupid.
