chert

/t͡ʃɜːt/

//t͡ʃɜːt// noun

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

"chert" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chert” is uncommon English (frequency #69,727 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,727
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Massive, usually dull-colored and opaque, quartzite, hornstone, impure chalcedony, or other flint-like mineral.

Key facts for chert
PropertyValue
Headwordchert
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/t͡ʃɜːt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#69,727
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chert” 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). chert 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

chert is uncommon English at frequency #69,727 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /t͡ʃɜːt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

chert doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unknown. The correct English form is chert, spelled C-H-E-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Massive, usually dull-colored and opaque, quartzite, hornstone, impure chalcedony, or other flint-like mineral.
  2. 2
    A flint-like tool made from chert.

Etymology

Unknown.

This word in other languages

sílex(Español)chaille(Français)Feuerstein(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 "chert"?
"chert" is spelled C-H-E-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is /t͡ʃɜːt/.
What does "chert" mean?
As a noun, "chert" means: Massive, usually dull-colored and opaque, quartzite, hornstone, impure chalcedony, or other flint-like mineral.
How do you pronounce "chert"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chert" is /t͡ʃɜːt/. 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 "chert"?
Unknown. 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 “chert”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-E-R-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /t͡ʃɜːt/ (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