charming

/ˈtʃɑː(ɹ).mɪŋ/

//ˈtʃɑː(ɹ).mɪŋ// adj

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

"charming" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“charming” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,341. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,341
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-charming · charming · English

charming · rank #6,341 · 13 variants · 19 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,341
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 19 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH capability

Nearest frequency peer: capability (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “charming”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “charming” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

charming vs chasing
75% similar
charming vs chiming
75% similar
charming vs claiming
75% similar

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

Key facts for charming
PropertyValue
Headwordcharming
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtʃɑː(ɹ).mɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#6,341
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “charming” 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). charming lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around charming (IPA /ˈtʃɑː(ɹ).mɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #6,341 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for charming, with forms such as "cahrming", "ccharming", and "chamring". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "chasing", "chiming", "claiming", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English charmynge; equivalent to charm + -ing. The correct English form is charming, spelled C-H-A-R-M-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pleasant, charismatic.
  2. 2
    Delightful in a playful way which avoids responsibility or seriousness, as if attracting through a magical charm.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. "What a charming amusement for young people this is, Mr. Darcy! There is nothing like dancing after all. I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished society."
  2. In the abstract, Stuhlbarg’s twinkly-eyed sidekick suggests Joe Pesci in Lethal Weapon 2 by way of late-period Robin Williams with an alien twist, but Stuhlbarg makes a character that easily could have come across as precious into a surprisingly palatable, even charming man.

Etymology

From Middle English charmynge; equivalent to charm + -ing.

This word in other languages

encantador(Español)charmant(Français)charmant(Deutsch)encantador(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cahrming
  • ccharming
  • chamring
  • charimng
  • charmign
  • charmingg
  • charminng
  • charmming
  • charmnig
  • charrming
  • chharming
  • chraming
  • hcarming

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of charming - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

cahrming2ccharming1chamring2charimng2charmign2charmingg1charminng1charmming1
Edit distance from "charming"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "charming"?
"charming" is spelled C-H-A-R-M-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtʃɑː(ɹ).mɪŋ/.
What does "charming" mean?
As an adjective, "charming" means: Pleasant, charismatic.
What words are commonly confused with "charming"?
"charming" is commonly confused with "chasing", "chiming", "claiming". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "charming"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "charming" is /ˈtʃɑː(ɹ).mɪŋ/. 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 "charming"?
From Middle English charmynge; equivalent to charm + -ing. 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 "charming", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

avoiding#6,332displays#6,352animated#6,325imagined#6,366

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

variation13 variantsmagazines13 variantsmeasuring13 variantspenalties13 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "charming". Here's where to go from here.

  • "charming" maps to 19 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "chasing". View pair
  • 13 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #6,341 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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