chauffeur

/ʃɒˈfɜː/

//ʃɒˈfɜː// noun

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

"chauffeur" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chauffeur” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,201. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,201
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person employed to drive a private motor car or a hired car of executive or luxury class (like a limousine).

Corpus desk

Index EN-chauffeur · chauffeur · English

chauffeur · rank #23,201 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,201
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chatted

Nearest frequency peer: chatted (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “chauffeur”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “chauffeur” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for chauffeur
PropertyValue
Headwordchauffeur
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ʃɒˈfɜː/
Letters9
Frequency rank#23,201
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “chauffeur”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).chauffeurlands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “chatted” (#23,200), “childs” (#23,202), “chakra” (#23,199). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chauffeur” is #23,201. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around chauffeur (IPA /ʃɒˈfɜː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,201 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for chauffeur, with forms such as "cahuffeur", "cchauffeur", and "chafufeur". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French chauffeur. The correct English form is chauffeur, spelled C-H-A-U-F-F-E-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person employed to drive a private motor car or a hired car of executive or luxury class (like a limousine).
  2. 2
    The driver of a fire truck.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He fell into a reverie, a most dangerous state of mind for a chauffeur, since a fall into reverie on the part of a driver may mean a fall into a ravine on the part of the machine.
  2. Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis When I was dead broke, man, I couldn't picture this 50-inch screen, money-green leather sofa Got two rides, a limousine with a chauffeur

Etymology

Borrowed from French chauffeur.

This word in other languages

chófer(Español)chauffeur(Français)Chauffeur(Deutsch)motorista(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cahuffeur
  • cchauffeur
  • chafufeur
  • chaufefur
  • chaufeur
  • chaufferu
  • chauffeurr
  • chauffuer
  • chhauffeur
  • chuaffeur
  • hcauffeur

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cahuffeur2cchauffeur1chafufeur2chaufefur2chaufeur1chaufferu2chauffeurr1chauffuer2
Edit distance from "chauffeur"

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 "chauffeur"?
"chauffeur" is spelled C-H-A-U-F-F-E-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ʃɒˈfɜː/.
What does "chauffeur" mean?
As a noun, "chauffeur" means: A person employed to drive a private motor car or a hired car of executive or luxury class (like a limousine).
What are common misspellings of "chauffeur"?
Common misspellings include "cahuffeur", "cchauffeur", "chafufeur", "chaufefur", "chaufeur". The correct spelling is "chauffeur".
How do you pronounce "chauffeur"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chauffeur" is /ʃɒˈfɜː/. 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 "chauffeur"?
Borrowed from French chauffeur. 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 "chauffeur", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

circulate#23,204clergyman#23,205clutching#23,208capacitor#23,192

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

circled11 variantsclimber11 variantscavalier11 variantscoliseum11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list