chilling

/ˈt͡ʃɪlɪŋ/

//ˈt͡ʃɪlɪŋ// adj

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

"chilling" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chilling” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,356. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,356
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Becoming cold.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chilling · chilling · English

chilling · rank #11,356 · 11 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,356
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chalk

Nearest frequency peer: chalk (-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 “chilling”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “chilling” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chilling vs culling
75% similar
chilling vs chiming
75% similar
chilling vs chipping
75% similar

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

Key facts for chilling
PropertyValue
Headwordchilling
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈt͡ʃɪlɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#11,356
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “chilling”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).chillinglands 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 “chalk” (#11,355), “coaster” (#11,357), “caves” (#11,354). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chilling” is #11,356. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around chilling (IPA /ˈt͡ʃɪlɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #11,356 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for chilling, with forms such as "cchilling", "chhilling", and "chililng". 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. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "culling", "chiming", "chipping", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English chilling, chelling, chyllinge, chillynge, chillande, equivalent to chill + -ing. The correct English form is chilling, spelled C-H-I-L-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Becoming cold.
  2. 2
    Causing cold.
  3. 3
    Causing mild fear.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. As they reached the street the ‘Duchess’ caught a swirling hem of lace about her chilling ankles.
  2. It was a chilling story, but the children enjoyed it.

Etymology

From Middle English chilling, chelling, chyllinge, chillynge, chillande, equivalent to chill + -ing.

This word in other languages

escalofriante(Español)effrayant(Français)gruselig(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cchilling
  • chhilling
  • chililng
  • chiling
  • chillign
  • chillingg
  • chillinng
  • chillnig
  • chliling
  • cihlling
  • hcilling

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cchilling1chhilling1chililng2chiling1chillign2chillingg1chillinng1chillnig2
Edit distance from "chilling"

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 "chilling"?
"chilling" is spelled C-H-I-L-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃɪlɪŋ/.
What does "chilling" mean?
As an adjective, "chilling" means: Becoming cold.
What words are commonly confused with "chilling"?
"chilling" is commonly confused with "culling", "chiming", "chipping". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chilling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chilling" is /ˈt͡ʃɪlɪŋ/. 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 "chilling"?
From Middle English chilling, chelling, chyllinge, chillynge, chillande, equivalent to chill + -ing. 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 "chilling", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

beverage#11,345deprived#11,367diplomat#11,368battling#11,343

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Brendan11 variantshelpless11 variantsvarsity11 variantstemples11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list