chicken

/ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/

//ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“chicken” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,334 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,334
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A domesticated subspecies of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus domesticus).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

chicken vs chicks
71% similar
chicken vs cricket
71% similar
chicken vs clicked
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for chicken
PropertyValue
Headwordchicken
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,334
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chicken” 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). chicken lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for chicken is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,334 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for chicken, with forms such as "cchicken", "chciken", and "chhicken". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "chicks", "cricket", "clicked", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English chiken (also as chike > English chick), from Old English ċicen, ċycen (“chicken”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *kiukīn (“chicken”), or alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *kukkīn, equivalent to cock + -en. C… The correct English form is chicken, spelled C-H-I-C-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A domesticated subspecies of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus domesticus).
  2. 2
    The meat from this bird eaten as food.
  3. 3
    The young of any bird; a chick.
  4. 4
    A coward.
  5. 5
    A young or inexperienced person.
  6. 6
    A young, attractive, slim man, usually having little body hair; compare chickenhawk.
  7. 7
    The game of dare.
  8. 8
    The game of dare.
  9. 9
    A simple dance in which the movements of a chicken are imitated.
  10. 10
    A kilogram of cocaine.
  11. 11
    A small pewter pot used in a tavern.

Etymology

From Middle English chiken (also as chike > English chick), from Old English ċicen, ċycen (“chicken”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *kiukīn (“chicken”), or alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *kukkīn, equivalent to cock + -en. Compare North Frisian schückling (“chicken”), Saterland Frisian Sjuuken (“chicken”), Dutch kuiken (“chick, chicken”), German Low German Küken (“chick”), whence German Küken (“chick”), (elevated, obsolete) German Küchlein (“chick”) and Old Norse kjúklingr (“chicken”).

Synonyms

biddychookcowardspring chickentwink

This word in other languages

pollo(Español)poulet(Français)Huhn(Deutsch)frango(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cchicken,chciken,chhicken,chiccken,chicekn,chickenn,chickken,chickne,chikcen,cihcken,hcicken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chicken - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

cchicken1chciken2chhicken1chiccken1chicekn2chickenn1chickken1chickne2
Edit distance from "chicken"

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 "chicken"?
"chicken" is spelled C-H-I-C-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/.
What does "chicken" mean?
As a noun, "chicken" means: A domesticated subspecies of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus domesticus).
What words are commonly confused with "chicken"?
"chicken" is commonly confused with "chicks", "cricket", "clicked". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chicken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chicken" is /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/. 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 "chicken"?
From Middle English chiken (also as chike > English chick), from Old English ċicen, ċycen (“chicken”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *kiukīn (“chicken”), or alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *kukkīn, equivalent to coc... 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 “chicken”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-I-C-K-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “chicks” - see the side-by-side comparison. chicken vs chicks
  • 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list