chiasm

/ˈkaɪ.æzəm/

//ˈkaɪ.æzəm// noun

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

"chiasm" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chiasm” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Alternative form of chiasma.

Key facts for chiasm
PropertyValue
Headwordchiasm
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkaɪ.æzəm/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chiasm” sits in English frequency

chiasm falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

chiasm is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkaɪ.æzəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for chiasm in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Latin; in sense 1, from chiasma, from Ancient Greek χίασμα (khiasma); in sense 2, from chiasmus, from Ancient Greek χιασμός (khiasmos "crossing, diagonal arrangement"), from χιάζειν (khiázein, “to mark with a chi”), from χ (kh, “chi”) The correct English form is chiasm, spelled C-H-I-A-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Alternative form of chiasma.
  2. 2
    Alternative form of chiasmus.

Etymology

Latin; in sense 1, from chiasma, from Ancient Greek χίασμα (khiasma); in sense 2, from chiasmus, from Ancient Greek χιασμός (khiasmos "crossing, diagonal arrangement"), from χιάζειν (khiázein, “to mark with a chi”), from χ (kh, “chi”)

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

How do you spell "chiasm"?
"chiasm" is spelled C-H-I-A-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkaɪ.æzəm/.
What does "chiasm" mean?
As a noun, "chiasm" means: Alternative form of chiasma.
How do you pronounce "chiasm"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chiasm" is /ˈkaɪ.æzəm/. 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 "chiasm"?
Latin; in sense 1, from chiasma, from Ancient Greek χίασμα (khiasma); in sense 2, from chiasmus, from Ancient Greek χιασμός (khiasmos "crossing, diagonal arrangement"), from χιάζειν (khiázein, “to mark with a chi”), from χ (kh, “chi”) 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 “chiasm”

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

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list