chivalry

/ˈʃɪvəlɹi/

//ˈʃɪvəlɹi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“chivalry” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,038. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,038
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Cavalry; horsemen armed for battle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chivalry · chivalry · English

chivalry · rank #26,038 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #26,038
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH checker

Nearest frequency peer: checker (-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 “chivalry”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “chivalry” 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).

chivalry vs cavalry
75% similar

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

Key facts for chivalry
PropertyValue
Headwordchivalry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃɪvəlɹi/
Letters8
Frequency rank#26,038
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “chivalry”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).chivalrylands 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 “checker” (#26,037), “Chopra” (#26,039), “civilised” (#26,040). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chivalry” is #26,038. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around chivalry (IPA /ˈʃɪvəlɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,038 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for chivalry, with forms such as "cchivalry", "chhivalry", and "chiavlry". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "cavalry", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English chivalerie, a late 13th century loan from Old French chevalerie (“knighthood, chivalry, nobility, cavalry”) (11th century), the -erie (“-ery”) abstract of chevaler (“knight, horseman”), from Medieval Latin caballarius (“horseman, knight”… The correct English form is chivalry, spelled C-H-I-V-A-L-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cavalry; horsemen armed for battle.
  2. 2
    The fact or condition of being a knight; knightly skill, prowess.
  3. 3
    The ethical code of the knight prevalent in Medieval Europe, having such primary virtues as mercy towards the poor and oppressed, humility, honour, sacrifice, fear of God, faithfulness, courage and courtesy to ladies.
  4. 4
    Courtesy, respect and honourable conduct, as between opponents in wartime.
  5. 5
    Courteous behaviour, especially that of men towards women.
  6. 6
    A tenure of lands by knightly service.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. ‘Most of the lords who rode with Lord Renly to Storm's End have gone over banner-and-blade to Stannis, with all their chivalry.’
  2. He had seen the woman he craved—his woman—his mate—in the arms of another. There had been but one course open to him, according to the fierce jungle code that guided him in this other existence; but just before it had become too late the softer sentiments of his inherent chivalry had risen above the flaming fires of his passion and saved him. A thousand t…

Etymology

From Middle English chivalerie, a late 13th century loan from Old French chevalerie (“knighthood, chivalry, nobility, cavalry”) (11th century), the -erie (“-ery”) abstract of chevaler (“knight, horseman”), from Medieval Latin caballarius (“horseman, knight”), from caballus (“horse”). Medieval Latin caballaria (“knighthood, status or fief of a knight”) dates to the 12th century. Doublet of cavalry.

This word in other languages

caballerosidad(Español)chevalerie(Français)Ritterlichkeit(Deutsch)cavalaria(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cchivalry
  • chhivalry
  • chiavlry
  • chivallry
  • chivalrry
  • chivalryy
  • chivalyr
  • chivarly
  • chivlary
  • chivvalry
  • chvialry
  • cihvalry
  • hcivalry

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chivalry - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

cchivalry1chhivalry1chiavlry2chivallry1chivalrry1chivalryy1chivalyr2chivarly2
Edit distance from "chivalry"

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 "chivalry"?
"chivalry" is spelled C-H-I-V-A-L-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃɪvəlɹi/.
What does "chivalry" mean?
As a noun, "chivalry" means: Cavalry; horsemen armed for battle.
What words are commonly confused with "chivalry"?
"chivalry" is commonly confused with "cavalry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chivalry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chivalry" is /ˈʃɪvəlɹi/. 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 "chivalry"?
From Middle English chivalerie, a late 13th century loan from Old French chevalerie (“knighthood, chivalry, nobility, cavalry”) (11th century), the -erie (“-ery”) abstract of chevaler (“knight, horseman”), from Medieval Latin caballarius (“horsema... 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 "chivalry", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

credence#26,049blushing#26,018basilica#26,009automate#26,007

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

civilised13 variantsemptying13 variantsAhmedabad13 variantsforegoing13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list