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” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,244 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,244
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.

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). chain lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for chain is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈt͡ʃeɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,244 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “chain”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-A-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈt͡ʃeɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “chi” - see the side-by-side comparison. chain vs chi
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list