chain

/ˈt͡ʃeɪn/

//ˈt͡ʃeɪn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“chain” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,244. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,244
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chain · chain · English

chain · rank #2,244 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,244
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Asia

Nearest frequency peer: Asia (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “chain”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “chain” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

chain vs chi
60% similar
chain vs chat
60% similar
chain vs chip
60% similar

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

Key facts for chain
PropertyValue
Headwordchain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈt͡ʃeɪn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,244
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chain” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Asia” (#2,243), “chapter” (#2,245), “apartment” (#2,242). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around chain (IPA /ˈt͡ʃeɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,244 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 15 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for chain, with forms such as "cahin", "cchain", and "chainn". 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, "chi", "chat", "chip", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cheyne, chaine, from Old French chaine, chaene (“chain”), from Latin catēna (“chain”), from Proto-Indo-European *kat- (“to braid, twist; hut, shed”). Doublet of catena. Displaced native Middle English rakil and rakent (from Old English r… The correct English form is chain, spelled C-H-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.
  2. 2
    A series of interconnected things.
  3. 3
    A series of stores or businesses with the same brand name.
  4. 4
    A number of atoms in a series, which combine to form a molecule.
  5. 5
    A series of interconnected links of known length, used as a measuring device.
  6. 6
    A long measuring tape.
  7. 7
    A unit of length, exactly equal to 22 yards, which is 4 rods or 100 links, and approximately equal to 20.12 metres; the length of a Gunter's surveying chain; the length of a cricket pitch.
  8. 8
    A totally ordered set, especially a totally ordered subset of a poset.
  9. 9
    A formal sum of cells in a CW complex of a certain dimension k (in which case the formal sums are called k'''-chains); a formal sum of simplices or cubes of a certain dimension in a simplical complex or cubical complex (respectively).
  10. 10
    An element of a group (or module) in a chain complex.
  11. 11
    A sequence of linked house purchases, each of which is dependent on the preceding and succeeding purchase (said to be "broken" if a buyer or seller pulls out).
  12. 12
    That which confines, fetters, or secures; a bond.
  13. 13
    Iron links bolted to the side of a vessel to bold the dead-eyes connected with the shrouds; also, the channels.
  14. 14
    A livery collar, a chain of office.
  15. 15
    The warp threads of a web.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He wore a gold chain around the neck.
  2. The anchor is connected to the boat with a 100-metre long chain.

Etymology

From Middle English cheyne, chaine, from Old French chaine, chaene (“chain”), from Latin catēna (“chain”), from Proto-Indo-European *kat- (“to braid, twist; hut, shed”). Doublet of catena. Displaced native Middle English rakil and rakent (from Old English racente (“chain”)); see rackan.

Synonyms

rackle

This word in other languages

cadena(Español)chaîne(Français)Kette(Deutsch)cadeia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cahin
  • cchain
  • chainn
  • chani
  • chhain
  • hcain

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cahin2cchain1chainn1chani2chhain1hcain2
Edit distance from "chain"

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 "chain"?
"chain" is spelled C-H-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃeɪn/.
What does "chain" mean?
As a noun, "chain" means: A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.
What words are commonly confused with "chain"?
"chain" is commonly confused with "chi", "chat", "chip". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chain" is /ˈt͡ʃeɪn/. 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 "chain"?
From Middle English cheyne, chaine, from Old French chaine, chaene (“chain”), from Latin catēna (“chain”), from Proto-Indo-European *kat- (“to braid, twist; hut, shed”). Doublet of catena. Displaced native Middle English rakil and rakent (from Old... 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 "chain", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

actor#2,240equal#2,250storm#2,232Korea#2,258

Similar misspelling depth

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

snow6 variantspack6 variantsmilk6 variantstask6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "chain". Here's where to go from here.

  • "chain" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "chi". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,244 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list