chinstrap

noun

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

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

The verdict

“chinstrap” is uncommon English (frequency #99,099 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,099
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A strip of leather or material used to fasten a hat or helmet under the chin.

Key facts for chinstrap
PropertyValue
Headwordchinstrap
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Frequency rank#99,099
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chinstrap” 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). chinstrap lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

chinstrap is uncommon English at frequency #99,099 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for chinstrap in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From chin + strap. The correct English form is chinstrap, spelled C-H-I-N-S-T-R-A-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A strip of leather or material used to fasten a hat or helmet under the chin.
  2. 2
    A form of beard that follows the jawline but does not cover the rest of the chin.
  3. 3
    A band of colour below a bird's mouth, resembling the chinstrap of a helmet.

Etymology

From chin + strap.

This word in other languages

barbiquejo(Español)

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 "chinstrap"?
"chinstrap" is spelled C-H-I-N-S-T-R-A-P.
What does "chinstrap" mean?
As a noun, "chinstrap" means: A strip of leather or material used to fasten a hat or helmet under the chin.
What is the origin of the word "chinstrap"?
From chin + strap. 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 “chinstrap”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-I-N-S-T-R-A-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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