chapeau

/ʃæˈpəʊ/

//ʃæˈpəʊ// noun

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

"chapeau" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chapeau” is uncommon English (frequency #72,177 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,177
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A hat.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chapeau · chapeau · English

chapeau · rank #72,177 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #72,177
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chalking

Nearest frequency peer: chalking (-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 “chapeau”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for chapeau
PropertyValue
Headwordchapeau
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ʃæˈpəʊ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#72,177
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “chapeau” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).chapeaufalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “chalking” (#72,176), “centring” (#72,175), “chirpy” (#72,180). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chapeau” is #72,177. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

chapeau is uncommon English at frequency #72,177 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ʃæˈpəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for chapeau, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French chappeau. The interjection is after Modern French chapeau in similar use, originally short for chapeau bas. The correct English form is chapeau, spelled C-H-A-P-E-A-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hat.
  2. 2
    A cap of maintenance.
  3. 3
    The mass of grape solids that floats on the surface during the fermentation of wine.
  4. 4
    The text at the start of a numbered section of a legal document that appears directly beside the section number, ahead of any numbered subsections.
  5. 5
    A passage of introductory text appearing in a treaty that broadly defines its principles, objectives, and background.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French chappeau. The interjection is after Modern French chapeau in similar use, originally short for chapeau bas.

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 "chapeau"?
"chapeau" is spelled C-H-A-P-E-A-U. The IPA pronunciation is /ʃæˈpəʊ/.
What does "chapeau" mean?
As a noun, "chapeau" means: A hat.
How do you pronounce "chapeau"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chapeau" is /ʃæˈpəʊ/. 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 "chapeau"?
Borrowed from Middle French chappeau. The interjection is after Modern French chapeau in similar use, originally short for chapeau bas. 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 "chapeau", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cassock#72,172civitas#72,187candler#72,165bycatch#72,159

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list