check
/t͡ʃɛk/noun, verb, interjection, adjective
check is spelled C-H-E-C-K: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 204 times per million words in written English, the 494th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “check vs cheque” about 1,300 times a month (Google, United States). As a noun, check means “An inspection or examination” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of check is checks.
How many letters and syllables are in check?
| Letters | 5: C-H-E-C-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 204 times per million words; the 494th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Sounds like |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is check?
Check appears 204 times per million words in written English, the 494th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce check?
- /t͡ʃɛk/
- [t͡ʃʰɛk̚]
Check has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-check.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with check
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sounds like: Czech, cheque (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Also written: chick.
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of check
- checks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- checking participle, present
- checked participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does check mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An inspection or examination.
I don't know if she will be there, but it's worth a check.
- 2
A control; a limit or stop.
checks and balances
- 3
A situation in which the king is directly threatened by an opposing piece.
- 4
USA mark (especially a checkmark: ✓) used as an indicator.
- 5
USAn order to a bank to pay money to a named person or entity.
I was not carrying cash, so I wrote a check for the amount.
- 6
USA bill, particularly in a restaurant.
I summoned the waiter, paid the check, and hurried to leave.
- 7
A maneuver performed by a player to take another player out of the play.
The hockey player gave a good hard check to obtain the puck.
- 8
A token used instead of cash in various contexts, including sign-out of company property or collection of rations (dated), in gaming machines, or in gambling generally.
a brass check
- 9
A pattern made up of a grid of squares of alternating colors; a checkered pattern.
The tablecloth had red and white checks.
- 10
Any fabric woven with such a pattern.
- 11
IndiaAlternative form of chick (“window blind or door screen”).
verb
- 1
To inspect; to examine.
Check the oil in your car once a month.
- 2
To verify the accuracy of a text or translation, usually making some corrections (proofread) or many (copyedit).
- 3
USTo mark items on a list (with a checkmark or by crossing them out) that have been chosen for keeping or removal or that have been dealt with (for example, completed or verified as correct or satisfactory).
Check the items on the list that interest you.
- 4
To control, limit, or halt.
Check your enthusiasm during a negotiation.
- 5
informalTo scold or rebuke someone.
- 6
To verify or compare with a source of information.
Check your data against known values.
- 7
To leave in safekeeping.
Check your hat and coat at the door.
- 8
To leave with a shipping agent for shipping.
Check your bags at the ticket counter before the flight.
- 9
To mark with a check pattern.
interjection
- 1
An expression showing that a requirement has been satisfied.
Keys? Check. Batteries? Check. We are all ready to go!
- 2
An expression that indicates that the speaker wishes to pay the bill (e.g. in a restaurant).
adjective
- 1
rareChecky, i.e. chequy.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate check?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of check: Ck, chk.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Check in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | vérification, contrôle, examen , échec , vérifier, contrôler |
| German | Kontrolle, Untersuchung, Überwachung, Überprüfung, Prüfung, Inspektion |
| Portuguese | inspeção, exame, checagem , xeque , controle, controlo |
| Spanish | chequeo, cotejo , jaque , verificar , marca de cotejo, gancho |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.