chaplaincy

/ˈtʃæp.lɪn.si/

//ˈtʃæp.lɪn.si// noun

"chaplaincy" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chaplaincy” is uncommon English (frequency #57,935 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,935
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The role or position of a chaplain.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chaplaincy · chaplaincy · English

chaplaincy · rank #57,935 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,935
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Cheong

Nearest frequency peer: Cheong (+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 “chaplaincy”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for chaplaincy
PropertyValue
Headwordchaplaincy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtʃæp.lɪn.si/
Letters10
Frequency rank#57,935
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “chaplaincy” 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).chaplaincyfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Cheong” (#57,936), “chided” (#57,937), “Chadian” (#57,932). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chaplaincy” is #57,935. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

chaplaincy is uncommon English at frequency #57,935 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtʃæp.lɪn.si/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for chaplaincy, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From chaplain + -cy. The correct English form is chaplaincy, spelled C-H-A-P-L-A-I-N-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The role or position of a chaplain.
  2. 2
    A building, for example on a university campus, catering to people's religious needs.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He was appointed to the chaplaincy of Colesberg, and undertook its duties without remuneration, till such time as a salary could be procured
  2. Background: Established in 1957, the US Army Chaplain Historical Holding chronicles the story of the Army chaplaincy from its inception during the American Revolution to the present.

Etymology

From chaplain + -cy.

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); 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 "chaplaincy"?
"chaplaincy" is spelled C-H-A-P-L-A-I-N-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtʃæp.lɪn.si/.
What does "chaplaincy" mean?
As a noun, "chaplaincy" means: The role or position of a chaplain.
How do you pronounce "chaplaincy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chaplaincy" is /ˈtʃæp.lɪn.si/. 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 "chaplaincy"?
From chaplain + -cy. 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 "chaplaincy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list