# chancel vs chancery

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### chancel
*noun · IPA /ˈtʃɑːnsəl/ · frequency rank #40,170*
The space around the altar in a church or cathedral, often enclosed, for use by the clergy and the choir. In medieval cathedrals the chancel was usually enclosed or blocked off from the nave by an altar screen.

### chancery
*noun · IPA /ˈt͡ʃɑːnsəɹɪ/ · frequency rank #32,314*
In England, formerly, the highest court of judicature next to the Parliament, exercising jurisdiction at law, but chiefly in equity; but under the jurisdiction act of 1873 it became the chancery division of the High Court of Justice, and now exercises jurisdiction only in equity

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chancel-vs-chancery