chanterelle

/ˈtʃæntəɹɛl/

//ˈtʃæntəɹɛl// noun

"chanterelle" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chanterelle” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A widely distributed edible mushroom, Cantharellus cibarius, being yellow and trumpet-shaped; or any similar mushroom of the genera Cantharellus, Polyozellus or Gomphus, not all of which are edible.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chanterelle · chanterelle · English

chanterelle · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for chanterelle
PropertyValue
Headwordchanterelle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtʃæntəɹɛl/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “chanterelle” in English

chanterelleranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

chanterelle is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtʃæntəɹɛl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for chanterelle, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French chanterelle, from New Latin cantharellus, diminutive of Latin cantharus (“drinking vessel”), from Ancient Greek κάνθαρος (kántharos). Probably of Pre-Greek origin, cognate with Akkadian 𒃶𒁺𒊒𒌑 (/⁠kanduru⁠/, “kind of vessel”), from Sum… The correct English form is chanterelle, spelled C-H-A-N-T-E-R-E-L-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A widely distributed edible mushroom, Cantharellus cibarius, being yellow and trumpet-shaped; or any similar mushroom of the genera Cantharellus, Polyozellus or Gomphus, not all of which are edible.
  2. 2
    The highest string of the violin or similar instrument.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Even the homely wood blewits, that you cook like tripe, with milk and onions, and the egg-yolk yellow chanterelle with its fan-vaulting and faint smell of apricots, all spring up overnight like bubbles of earth, unsustained by nature, existing in a void.
  2. There were hushed moments of complete beauty when the melody moved out and hung above the chanterelle like a hummingbird poised over a flower.

Etymology

Borrowed from French chanterelle, from New Latin cantharellus, diminutive of Latin cantharus (“drinking vessel”), from Ancient Greek κάνθαρος (kántharos). Probably of Pre-Greek origin, cognate with Akkadian 𒃶𒁺𒊒𒌑 (/⁠kanduru⁠/, “kind of vessel”), from Sumerian 𒄑𒃶𒉡𒌉 (/⁠gannu-tur⁠/, “small vessel; potstand”, literally “little vessel, container, holder”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "chanterelle"?
"chanterelle" is spelled C-H-A-N-T-E-R-E-L-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtʃæntəɹɛl/.
What does "chanterelle" mean?
As a noun, "chanterelle" means: A widely distributed edible mushroom, Cantharellus cibarius, being yellow and trumpet-shaped; or any similar mushroom of the genera Cantharellus, Polyozellus or Gomphus, not all of which are edible.
How do you pronounce "chanterelle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chanterelle" is /ˈtʃæntəɹɛl/. 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 "chanterelle"?
Borrowed from French chanterelle, from New Latin cantharellus, diminutive of Latin cantharus (“drinking vessel”), from Ancient Greek κάνθαρος (kántharos). Probably of Pre-Greek origin, cognate with Akkadian 𒃶𒁺𒊒𒌑 (/⁠kanduru⁠/, “kind of vessel”)... See the full etymology section above for more details.
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Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list