chaff

/t͡ʃæf/

//t͡ʃæf// noun

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

"chaff" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chaff” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,242. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,242
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chaff · chaff · English

chaff · rank #39,242 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,242
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH changeable

Nearest frequency peer: changeable (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “chaff”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “chaff” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

chaff vs chat
60% similar
chaff vs chef
60% similar
chaff vs chan
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for chaff
PropertyValue
Headwordchaff
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/t͡ʃæf/
Letters5
Frequency rank#39,242
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “chaff”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).chafflands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “changeable” (#39,243), “chaperone” (#39,244), “chlorophyll” (#39,245). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chaff” is #39,242. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around chaff (IPA /t͡ʃæf/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,242 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for chaff, with forms such as "cahff", "cchaff", and "chaf". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "chat", "chef", "chan", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English chaf, from Old English ċeaf, from Proto-West Germanic *kaf. Cognate with Scots caff, Saterland Frisian Sääf, West Frisian tsjêf, Dutch kaf, German Low German Kaff, regional German Kaff. The correct English form is chaff, spelled C-H-A-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant.
  2. 2
    Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle.
  3. 3
    Any excess or unwanted material, resource, or person; anything worthless.
  4. 4
    Light jesting talk; banter; raillery.
  5. 5
    Loose material, e.g. small strips of aluminum foil dropped from aircraft, intended to interfere with radar detection.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. To separate out the chaff, early cultures tossed baskets of grain into the air and let the wind blow away the lighter chaff.
  2. So take the corn and leave the chaff behind.

Etymology

From Middle English chaf, from Old English ċeaf, from Proto-West Germanic *kaf. Cognate with Scots caff, Saterland Frisian Sääf, West Frisian tsjêf, Dutch kaf, German Low German Kaff, regional German Kaff.

This word in other languages

paja(Español)balle(Français)Spreu(Deutsch)palha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cahff
  • cchaff
  • chaf
  • chfaf
  • chhaff
  • hcaff

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chaff - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

cahff2cchaff1chaf1chfaf2chhaff1hcaff2
Edit distance from "chaff"

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 "chaff"?
"chaff" is spelled C-H-A-F-F. The IPA pronunciation is /t͡ʃæf/.
What does "chaff" mean?
As a noun, "chaff" means: The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant.
What words are commonly confused with "chaff"?
"chaff" is commonly confused with "chat", "chef", "chan". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chaff"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chaff" is /t͡ʃæf/. 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 "chaff"?
From Middle English chaf, from Old English ċeaf, from Proto-West Germanic *kaf. Cognate with Scots caff, Saterland Frisian Sääf, West Frisian tsjêf, Dutch kaf, German Low German Kaff, regional German Kaff. 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 "chaff", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cacti#39,232crump#39,264Berne#39,211Athos#39,194

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

bund6 variantsdebs6 variantsvlog6 variantsguile6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list