chilly

/ˈt͡ʃɪli/

//ˈt͡ʃɪli// adj

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

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

The verdict

“chilly” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,916. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,916
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Cold enough to cause discomfort.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chilly · chilly · English

chilly · rank #14,916 · 8 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,916
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH centred

Nearest frequency peer: centred (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “chilly”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “chilly” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

chilly vs chitty
67% similar
chilly vs coolly
67% similar
chilly vs chippy
67% similar

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

Key facts for chilly
PropertyValue
Headwordchilly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈt͡ʃɪli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#14,916
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chilly” 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).chilly lands 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. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around chilly (IPA /ˈt͡ʃɪli/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #14,916 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for chilly, with forms such as "cchilly", "chhilly", and "chillyy". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "chitty", "coolly", "chippy", 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 chill + -y. Cognate with Swedish kylig (“chilly”), Norwegian kjølig (“chilly”). The correct English form is chilly, spelled C-H-I-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cold enough to cause discomfort.
  2. 2
    Feeling uncomfortably cold.
  3. 3
    Distant and cool; unfriendly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] The Aſparagus grew; but in three or four Years complained, by coming up ſmall; occaſioned by the chilly Effluvia, that proceeded from the Water lodg'd at the bottom of the Pit; […]
  2. The Alps, the woods, and marſhes of the vaſt region of Scandinavia (for I will conſider it in the great) give ſhelter to numbers of quadrupeds unknown to Britain. Thoſe who brave the ſeverity of the extreme north of this country are diſtinguiſhed by the addition of the Lapland name. The Elk, Nº 3 of this Work, is found in many parts: the Rein, Godde, Nº 4…

Etymology

From chill + -y. Cognate with Swedish kylig (“chilly”), Norwegian kjølig (“chilly”).

Synonyms

cold

This word in other languages

frío(Español)froid(Français)kalt(Deutsch)frio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cchilly
  • chhilly
  • chillyy
  • chily
  • chilyl
  • chlily
  • cihlly
  • hcilly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cchilly1chhilly1chillyy1chily1chilyl2chlily2cihlly2hcilly2
Edit distance from "chilly"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "chilly"?
"chilly" is spelled C-H-I-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃɪli/.
What does "chilly" mean?
As an adjective, "chilly" means: Cold enough to cause discomfort.
What words are commonly confused with "chilly"?
"chilly" is commonly confused with "chitty", "coolly", "chippy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chilly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chilly" is /ˈt͡ʃɪli/. 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 "chilly"?
From chill + -y. Cognate with Swedish kylig (“chilly”), Norwegian kjølig (“chilly”). 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 "chilly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Cannes#14,913clowns#14,920buckle#14,910bridal#14,905

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

crappy8 variantsbland8 variantsbirch8 variantsavoids8 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "chilly". Here's where to go from here.

  • "chilly" maps to 15 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "chitty". View pair
  • 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #14,916 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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