chieftain

/ˈt͡ʃiːf.tən/

//ˈt͡ʃiːf.tən// noun

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

"chieftain" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chieftain” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,564. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,564
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A leader of a clan or tribe.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chieftain · chieftain · English

chieftain · rank #33,564 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,564
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH checkup

Nearest frequency peer: checkup (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “chieftain”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “chieftain” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for chieftain
PropertyValue
Headwordchieftain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈt͡ʃiːf.tən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#33,564
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “chieftain”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).chieftainlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “checkup” (#33,563), “Chisholm” (#33,565), “Charlemagne” (#33,562). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chieftain” is #33,564. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around chieftain (IPA /ˈt͡ʃiːf.tən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #33,564 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for chieftain, with forms such as "cchieftain", "cheiftain", and "chhieftain". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cheveteyn, cheftayne, from Old French chevetaine, from Late Latin capitaneus (English captain), from Latin caput (“head”), from Proto-Indo-European *kauput- (English head), itself from Proto-Indo-European *kap-. Doublet of captain; relat… The correct English form is chieftain, spelled C-H-I-E-F-T-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A leader of a clan or tribe.
  2. 2
    A leader of a group.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how chieftain appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. VI. THE PUYUMA GROUP. The tribes belonging to this group occupy the plains in Hinan and that neighbourhood, and call themselves "Puyumas," but the Chinese call them the "Hinan Savages". The Puyumas formed a very powerful State some 300 years ago, and united under one single rule as many as seventy isolated tribes scattered over the land, stretching from H…
  2. They were probably the work of individual craftsmen working to meet the chieftains' needs. Their place in the chronology of the big cemeteries is indicated by the less richly-decorated double-springed bronze brooches which are found here.

Etymology

From Middle English cheveteyn, cheftayne, from Old French chevetaine, from Late Latin capitaneus (English captain), from Latin caput (“head”), from Proto-Indo-European *kauput- (English head), itself from Proto-Indo-European *kap-. Doublet of captain; related to chief.

Synonyms

chiefbig gunbig shotbig wheelbigwigbossemployerforemanheadleadermandarinmanagermover and shakertop bananatop dogtycoon

This word in other languages

cacique(Español)chef(Français)Häuptling(Deutsch)morubixaba(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cchieftain
  • cheiftain
  • chhieftain
  • chiefatin
  • chiefftain
  • chieftainn
  • chieftani
  • chieftian
  • chiefttain
  • chietfain
  • chifetain
  • ciheftain
  • hcieftain

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chieftain - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

cchieftain1cheiftain2chhieftain1chiefatin2chiefftain1chieftainn1chieftani2chieftian2
Edit distance from "chieftain"

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 "chieftain"?
"chieftain" is spelled C-H-I-E-F-T-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃiːf.tən/.
What does "chieftain" mean?
As a noun, "chieftain" means: A leader of a clan or tribe.
What are common misspellings of "chieftain"?
Common misspellings include "cchieftain", "cheiftain", "chhieftain", "chiefatin", "chiefftain". The correct spelling is "chieftain".
How do you pronounce "chieftain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chieftain" is /ˈt͡ʃiːf.tən/. 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 "chieftain"?
From Middle English cheveteyn, cheftayne, from Old French chevetaine, from Late Latin capitaneus (English captain), from Latin caput (“head”), from Proto-Indo-European *kauput- (English head), itself from Proto-Indo-European *kap-. Doublet of capt... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "chieftain", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cirrhosis#33,569capillary#33,556bulldozer#33,548combative#33,583

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Chisholm13 variantsbountiful13 variantsconceited13 variantsasymmetry13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list