chinchilla

/t͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪlə/

//t͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪlə// noun

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

"chinchilla" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chinchilla” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,661. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,661
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small, crepuscular rodent of the genus Chinchilla, native to the Andes Mountains, prized for their very soft fur and often kept as pets.

Key facts for chinchilla
PropertyValue
Headwordchinchilla
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/t͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪlə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#48,661
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chinchilla” 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). chinchilla lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around chinchilla (IPA /t͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪlə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #48,661 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for chinchilla, with forms such as "cchinchilla", "chhinchilla", and "chicnhilla". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Spanish chinchilla. The correct English form is chinchilla, spelled C-H-I-N-C-H-I-L-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small, crepuscular rodent of the genus Chinchilla, native to the Andes Mountains, prized for their very soft fur and often kept as pets.
  2. 2
    The fur of a chinchilla, used for clothing.
  3. 3
    A variety of Persian cat with white fur and green eyes.

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish chinchilla.

This word in other languages

chinchilla(Español)chinchilla(Français)Chinchilla(Deutsch)chinchila(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cchinchilla
  • chhinchilla
  • chicnhilla
  • chincchilla
  • chinchhilla
  • chinchila
  • chinchilal
  • chinchlila
  • chincihlla
  • chinhcilla
  • chinnchilla
  • chnichilla
  • cihnchilla
  • hcinchilla

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cchinchilla1chhinchilla1chicnhilla2chincchilla1chinchhilla1chinchila1chinchilal2chinchlila2
Edit distance from "chinchilla"

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 "chinchilla"?
"chinchilla" is spelled C-H-I-N-C-H-I-L-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is /t͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪlə/.
What does "chinchilla" mean?
As a noun, "chinchilla" means: A small, crepuscular rodent of the genus Chinchilla, native to the Andes Mountains, prized for their very soft fur and often kept as pets.
What are common misspellings of "chinchilla"?
Common misspellings include "cchinchilla", "chhinchilla", "chicnhilla", "chincchilla", "chinchhilla". The correct spelling is "chinchilla".
How do you pronounce "chinchilla"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chinchilla" is /t͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪlə/. 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 "chinchilla"?
Borrowed from Spanish chinchilla. 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 “chinchilla”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-I-N-C-H-I-L-L-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /t͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪlə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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