chervil
/ˈt͡ʃɜː(ɹ)vɪl/
"chervil" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“chervil” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A leafy herb, Anthriscus cerefolium, resembling parsley.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | chervil |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈt͡ʃɜː(ɹ)vɪl/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “chervil” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
chervil is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈt͡ʃɜː(ɹ)vɪl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
chervil doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English chervell, from Old English cerfille, from Anglo-Norman chervele (compare Jèrriais chèrfi), from Latin caerefolium, from Ancient Greek χαιρέφυλλον (khairéphullon). The correct English form is chervil, spelled C-H-E-R-V-I-L.
Definition
- 1A leafy herb, Anthriscus cerefolium, resembling parsley.
- 2Leaves from the plant, used as an herb in cooking, which have a mild flavor of anise.
Etymology
From Middle English chervell, from Old English cerfille, from Anglo-Norman chervele (compare Jèrriais chèrfi), from Latin caerefolium, from Ancient Greek χαιρέφυλλον (khairéphullon).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “chervil”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-H-E-R-V-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈt͡ʃɜː(ɹ)vɪl/ (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
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.