cheapskate

/ˈt͡ʃipˌskeɪt/

//ˈt͡ʃipˌskeɪt// noun

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

The verdict

“cheapskate” is uncommon English (frequency #69,725 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,725
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone who stingily avoids spending money.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cheapskate · cheapskate · English

cheapskate · rank #69,725 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #69,725
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chama

Nearest frequency peer: chama (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “cheapskate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cheapskate
PropertyValue
Headwordcheapskate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈt͡ʃipˌskeɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#69,725
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cheapskate” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).cheapskatefalls 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: “chama” (#69,724), “certificated” (#69,723), “chert” (#69,727). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cheapskate” is #69,725. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cheapskate is uncommon English at frequency #69,725 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈt͡ʃipˌskeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for cheapskate in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From cheap + skite (“contemptible person”). Compare blatherskite. The correct English form is cheapskate, spelled C-H-E-A-P-S-K-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who stingily avoids spending money.
  2. 2
    Someone who does not give freely.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He is such a cheapskate, he found that jumper in a dustbin.
  2. My mum is such a cheapskate that she didn't lend me money to go shopping.

Etymology

From cheap + skite (“contemptible person”). Compare blatherskite.

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 "cheapskate"?
"cheapskate" is spelled C-H-E-A-P-S-K-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃipˌskeɪt/.
What does "cheapskate" mean?
As a noun, "cheapskate" means: Someone who stingily avoids spending money.
How do you pronounce "cheapskate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cheapskate" is /ˈt͡ʃipˌskeɪt/. 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 "cheapskate"?
From cheap + skite (“contemptible person”). Compare blatherskite. 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 "cheapskate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list