cachet

/kæˈʃeɪ/

//kæˈʃeɪ// noun

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

"cachet" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cachet” is uncommon English (frequency #58,576 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,576
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A seal, as of a letter.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cachet · cachet · English

cachet · rank #58,576 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,576
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Bynes

Nearest frequency peer: Bynes (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “cachet”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “cachet” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cachet
PropertyValue
Headwordcachet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kæˈʃeɪ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#58,576
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cachet” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).cachetfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Bynes” (#58,575), “cackle” (#58,577), “calcification” (#58,578). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cachet” is #58,576. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cachet is uncommon English at frequency #58,576 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /kæˈʃeɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

cachet doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French cachet, first appearing in Scottish English, from 1630. The correct English form is cachet, spelled C-A-C-H-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A seal, as of a letter.
  2. 2
    A special characteristic or quality; prestige, especially via association.
  3. 3
    A commemorative stamped design or inscription on an envelope, other than a cancellation or pre-printed postage.
  4. 4
    A sealed envelope containing an item whose price is being negotiated.
  5. 5
    A capsule containing a pharmaceutical preparation.
  6. 6
    A hidden location from which one can observe birds while remaining unseen.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how cachet appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I remember when this diner was a quiet hangout, but lately it seems to be losing its cachet.
  2. In fact, within the Waffen-SS as a whole, the carrying of a personal weapon such as a pistol or a submachine-gun in addition to or instead of the issue rifle became something of a cachet.

Etymology

Borrowed from French cachet, first appearing in Scottish English, from 1630.

This word in other languages

caché(Español)Gütesiegel(Deutsch)

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cachet"?
"cachet" is spelled C-A-C-H-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /kæˈʃeɪ/.
What does "cachet" mean?
As a noun, "cachet" means: A seal, as of a letter.
How do you pronounce "cachet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cachet" is /kæˈʃeɪ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cachet"?
Borrowed from French cachet, first appearing in Scottish English, from 1630. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cachet", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cackle#58,577bungle#58,571broods#58,564Bonney#58,558

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list