chattering

noun

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

The verdict

“chattering” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,654 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#35,654
frequency rank, English
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A noise that chatters.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chattering vs chatting
80% similar
chattering vs catering
80% similar

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

Key facts for chattering
PropertyValue
Headwordchattering
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Frequency rank#35,654
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chattering” 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). chattering 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 chattering is 10 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #35,654 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for chattering, with forms such as "cahttering", "cchattering", and "chatering". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "chatting", "catering", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is chattering, spelled C-H-A-T-T-E-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A noise that chatters.
  2. 2
    Output fluctuation before reaching a stable condition.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cahttering,cchattering,chatering,chatetring,chatteirng,chatterign,chatteringg,chatterinng,chatternig,chatterring,chattreing,chhattering,chtatering,hcattering

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cahttering2cchattering1chatering1chatetring2chatteirng2chatterign2chatteringg1chatterinng1
Edit distance from "chattering"

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 "chattering"?
"chattering" is spelled C-H-A-T-T-E-R-I-N-G.
What does "chattering" mean?
As a noun, "chattering" means: A noise that chatters.
What words are commonly confused with "chattering"?
"chattering" is commonly confused with "chatting", "catering". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "chattering" come from?
"chattering" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “chattering”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-A-T-T-E-R-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “chatting” - see the side-by-side comparison. chattering vs chatting
  • 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