charm

/tʃɑːm/

//tʃɑːm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“charm” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,863 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,863
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An object, act or words believed to have magic power (usually carries a positive connotation).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

charm vs CRM
0% similar
charm vs CHR
0% similar
charm vs chat
60% similar

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

Key facts for charm
PropertyValue
Headwordcharm
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tʃɑːm/
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,863
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “charm” 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). charm 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 charm is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tʃɑːm/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,863 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for charm, with forms such as "cahrm", "ccharm", and "chamr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CRM", "CHR", "chat", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English charme, from Old French charme (“chant, magic spell”), from Latin carmen (“song, incantation”). The correct English form is charm, spelled C-H-A-R-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    An object, act or words believed to have magic power (usually carries a positive connotation).
  2. 2
    The ability to persuade, delight or arouse admiration.
  3. 3
    A small trinket on a bracelet or chain, etc., traditionally supposed to confer luck upon the wearer.
  4. 4
    The collective noun for a group of goldfinches.
  5. 5
    A quantum number of hadrons determined by the number of charm quarks and antiquarks.
  6. 6
    A second-order measure of derivative price sensitivity, expressed as the instantaneous rate of change of delta with respect to time.
  7. 7
    An icon providing quick access to a command or setting.

Etymology

From Middle English charme, from Old French charme (“chant, magic spell”), from Latin carmen (“song, incantation”).

This word in other languages

amuleto(Español)fétiche(Français)Amulett(Deutsch)fetiche(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cahrm,ccharm,chamr,charmm,charrm,chharm,chram,hcarm

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of charm - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

cahrm2ccharm1chamr2charmm1charrm1chharm1chram2hcarm2
Edit distance from "charm"

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 "charm"?
"charm" is spelled C-H-A-R-M. The IPA pronunciation is /tʃɑːm/.
What does "charm" mean?
As a noun, "charm" means: An object, act or words believed to have magic power (usually carries a positive connotation).
What words are commonly confused with "charm"?
"charm" is commonly confused with "CRM", "CHR", "chat". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "charm"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "charm" is /tʃɑːm/. 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 "charm"?
From Middle English charme, from Old French charme (“chant, magic spell”), from Latin carmen (“song, incantation”). 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 “charm”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-A-R-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /tʃɑːm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “CRM” - see the side-by-side comparison. charm vs CRM
  • 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