chatterbox

/ˈtʃæ.tə(ɹ)ˌbɒks/

//ˈtʃæ.tə(ɹ)ˌbɒks// noun

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

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

The verdict

“chatterbox” is uncommon English (frequency #75,718 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,718
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who chats or talks to excess.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chatterbox · chatterbox · English

chatterbox · rank #75,718 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,718
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Chapple

Nearest frequency peer: Chapple (-2 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 “chatterbox”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for chatterbox
PropertyValue
Headwordchatterbox
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtʃæ.tə(ɹ)ˌbɒks/
Letters10
Frequency rank#75,718
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “chatterbox” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).chatterboxfalls 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: “Chapple” (#75,716), “chapbook” (#75,715), “chikungunya” (#75,721). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chatterbox” is #75,718. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

chatterbox is uncommon English at frequency #75,718 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtʃæ.tə(ɹ)ˌbɒks/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for chatterbox, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From chatter + box. The correct English form is chatterbox, spelled C-H-A-T-T-E-R-B-O-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who chats or talks to excess.
  2. 2
    Synonym of cootie catcher (“children's fortune-telling device”).
  3. 3
    Synonym of chatterbot.
  4. 4
    The orchid Epipactis gigantea.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. [S]he [Edwina, mother of Tennessee Williams] was indeed Amanda [Wingfield, character in Williams' play The Glass Menagerie] in the flesh: a doughty chatterbox from Ohio who adopted the manner of a Southern belle and eschewed both drink and sex to the greatest extent possible.

Etymology

From chatter + box.

Synonyms

babblerjabbererchattereryakkerairbagbabblemouthbag of windblabblabbererblathererblabbermouthblatherskitebloviatorchatterbagchatter-basketchatterboxChatty CathychewetgabblergasbagjanglerMagmotormouthpattererpraterprattlerrattletongue-padtwaddlerwindbagyapper

This word in other languages

loro(Español)moulin à paroles(Français)Dampfplauderer(Deutsch)tagarela(Português)

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 "chatterbox"?
"chatterbox" is spelled C-H-A-T-T-E-R-B-O-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtʃæ.tə(ɹ)ˌbɒks/.
What does "chatterbox" mean?
As a noun, "chatterbox" means: One who chats or talks to excess.
How do you pronounce "chatterbox"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chatterbox" is /ˈtʃæ.tə(ɹ)ˌbɒks/. 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 "chatterbox"?
From chatter + box. 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 "chatterbox", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

clambering#75,729Coddington#75,737convulsive#75,757coromandel#75,761

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list