chin-chin
/ˌt͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪn/
"chin-chin" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“chin-chin” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an interjection. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A salutation, especially a drinking toast.
Corpus desk
Index EN-chin-chin · chin-chin · English
chin-chin · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 9 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | chin-chin |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Interjection |
| IPA | /ˌt͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪn/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “chin-chin” in English
Rare enough to double-check
chin-chin is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aninterjection, transcribed /ˌt͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A salutation, especially a drinking toast.".
Zero misspellings are on record for chin-chin in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Chinese Pidgin English chin-chin, a reduplication of Shanghainese 請 /请 (⁵chin, “please”). Sometimes, especially in Italianate spellings, reborrowed from Italian cincin. The correct English form is chin-chin, spelled C-H-I-N---C-H-I-N.
Definition
- 1A salutation, especially a drinking toast.
Recorded use
Wiktionary exampleThese source excerpts show how chin-chin appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The two junior members of the Chinese deputation came at the appointed hour. . . . On entering the door of the marquee they both made an abrupt stop, and resisted all solicitation to advance to chairs that had been prepared for them, until I should first be seated; in this dilemma, Dr. Buchanan, who had visited China, advised me what was to be done; I imm…
Etymology
From Chinese Pidgin English chin-chin, a reduplication of Shanghainese 請 /请 (⁵chin, “please”). Sometimes, especially in Italianate spellings, reborrowed from Italian cincin.
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.