checkerboard

Name: checkerboard, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈt͡ʃɛkəˌbɔːd/

//ˈt͡ʃɛkəˌbɔːd// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“checkerboard” is uncommon English (frequency #55,320 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,320
frequency rank, English: 43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A pattern of squares of alternating colours.

Key facts for checkerboard
Property	Value
Headword	checkerboard
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈt͡ʃɛkəˌbɔːd/
Letters	12
Frequency rank	#55,320
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “checkerboard” 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). checkerboard lands here:

#55,320

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

checkerboard is uncommon English at frequency #55,320 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈt͡ʃɛkəˌbɔːd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for checkerboard, 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 checker + board. The correct English form is checkerboard, spelled C-H-E-C-K-E-R-B-O-A-R-D.

Definition

1
A pattern of squares of alternating colours.
2
A board, usually square, covered with such a pattern; especially such a board with 8×8 squares, used to play chess and draughts/checkers.
3
A style of negative cutting that avoids visible splice marks.

Etymology

From checker + board.

Synonyms

draughtboard

This word in other languages

escaque(Español)damier(Français)tabuleiro(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 "checkerboard"?

"checkerboard" is spelled C-H-E-C-K-E-R-B-O-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃɛkəˌbɔːd/.

What does "checkerboard" mean?

As a noun, "checkerboard" means: A pattern of squares of alternating colours.

How do you pronounce "checkerboard"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "checkerboard" is /ˈt͡ʃɛkəˌbɔːd/. 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 "checkerboard"?

From checker + board. 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.

Using “checkerboard”

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

The one correct English spelling is C-H-E-C-K-E-R-B-O-A-R-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈt͡ʃɛkəˌbɔːd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.