charter

/ˈt͡ʃɑːtə/

//ˈt͡ʃɑːtə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“charter” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,834 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,834
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A document issued by some authority, creating a public or private institution, and defining its purposes and privileges.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

charter vs crater
71% similar
charter vs chaser
71% similar
charter vs chaste
71% similar

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

Key facts for charter
PropertyValue
Headwordcharter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈt͡ʃɑːtə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#4,834
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “charter” 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). charter 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 charter is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈt͡ʃɑːtə/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,834 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 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for charter, with forms such as "cahrter", "ccharter", and "charetr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "crater", "chaser", "chaste", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English charter, chartre, borrowed from Old French chartre, from Latin chartula (diminutive of charta). See chart. Doublet of chartula. The correct English form is charter, spelled C-H-A-R-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A document issued by some authority, creating a public or private institution, and defining its purposes and privileges.
  2. 2
    A similar document conferring rights and privileges on a person, corporation etc.
  3. 3
    A contract for the commercial leasing of a vessel, or space on a vessel.
  4. 4
    The temporary hiring or leasing of a vehicle.
  5. 5
    A deed (legal contract).
  6. 6
    A special privilege, immunity, or exemption.
  7. 7
    a provision whose unintended consequence would be to encourage an undesirable activity

Etymology

From Middle English charter, chartre, borrowed from Old French chartre, from Latin chartula (diminutive of charta). See chart. Doublet of chartula.

Synonyms

chirograph

This word in other languages

flete(Español)charte(Français)Charta(Deutsch)procuração(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cahrter,ccharter,charetr,charrter,charterr,chartre,chartter,chatrer,chharter,chrater,hcarter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cahrter2ccharter1charetr2charrter1charterr1chartre2chartter1chatrer2
Edit distance from "charter"

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 "charter"?
"charter" is spelled C-H-A-R-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃɑːtə/.
What does "charter" mean?
As a noun, "charter" means: A document issued by some authority, creating a public or private institution, and defining its purposes and privileges.
What words are commonly confused with "charter"?
"charter" is commonly confused with "crater", "chaser", "chaste". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "charter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "charter" is /ˈt͡ʃɑːtə/. 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 "charter"?
From Middle English charter, chartre, borrowed from Old French chartre, from Latin chartula (diminutive of charta). See chart. Doublet of chartula. 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 “charter”

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

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