chemise

/ʃəˈmiːz/

//ʃəˈmiːz// noun

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

"chemise" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chemise” is uncommon English (frequency #77,524 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#77,524
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A loose shirtlike undergarment, especially for women.

Key facts for chemise
PropertyValue
Headwordchemise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ʃəˈmiːz/
Letters7
Frequency rank#77,524
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chemise” 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). chemise lands here:

#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

chemise is uncommon English at frequency #77,524 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ʃəˈmiːz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for chemise, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French chemise, from Old French chemise, from Late Latin camisa, camisia ("shirt, undergarment, nightgown"; whence Old English cemes (“shirt”)), from Proto-West Germanic *hamiþi (“shirt”) (whence Old English hemeþe, Old High German hemidi, modern Germa… The correct English form is chemise, spelled C-H-E-M-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A loose shirtlike undergarment, especially for women.
  2. 2
    A short nightdress, or similar piece of lingerie.
  3. 3
    A woman's dress that fits loosely; a chemise dress.
  4. 4
    A wall that lines the face of a bank or earthwork.

Etymology

From French chemise, from Old French chemise, from Late Latin camisa, camisia ("shirt, undergarment, nightgown"; whence Old English cemes (“shirt”)), from Proto-West Germanic *hamiþi (“shirt”) (whence Old English hemeþe, Old High German hemidi, modern German Hemd (“shirt”)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱam- (“cover, clothes”). Cognate also with Saterland Frisian Hoamd (“shirt”), Dutch hemd (“shirt”), Old English ham (“undergarment”), hama (“covering, dress, garment”). See also shimmy, from a dialectal variant. More at hame.

This word in other languages

chemise de nuit(Français)Unterhemd(Deutsch)

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 "chemise"?
"chemise" is spelled C-H-E-M-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ʃəˈmiːz/.
What does "chemise" mean?
As a noun, "chemise" means: A loose shirtlike undergarment, especially for women.
How do you pronounce "chemise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chemise" is /ʃəˈmiːz/. 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 "chemise"?
From French chemise, from Old French chemise, from Late Latin camisa, camisia ("shirt, undergarment, nightgown"; whence Old English cemes (“shirt”)), from Proto-West Germanic *hamiþi (“shirt”) (whence Old English hemeþe, Old High German hemidi, mo... 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 “chemise”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-E-M-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ʃəˈmiːz/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list