chop

/t͡ʃɒp/

//t͡ʃɒp// noun

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

"chop" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chop” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,009 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,009
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A cut of meat, often containing a section of a rib.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

chop vs co
50% similar
chop vs cp
50% similar
chop vs cup
50% similar

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

Key facts for chop
PropertyValue
Headwordchop
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/t͡ʃɒp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#10,009
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chop” 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). chop lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for chop is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /t͡ʃɒp/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,009 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for chop, with forms such as "cchop", "chhop", and "chopp". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "co", "cp", "cup", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English choppen, chappen (“to chop”), of uncertain origin, possibly onomatopoeic, or a variant of chap (“to become cracked”). Cognate with Scots chap (“to chop”). Compare also Saterland Frisian kappe, kapje (“to hack; chop; lop off”), Dutch kapp… The correct English form is chop, spelled C-H-O-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A cut of meat, often containing a section of a rib.
  2. 2
    A blow with an axe, cleaver, or similar implement.
  3. 3
    A blow delivered with the hand rigid and outstretched.
  4. 4
    Ocean waves, generally caused by wind, distinguished from swell by being smaller and not lasting as long.
  5. 5
    A hand where two or more players have an equal-valued hand, resulting in the chips being shared equally between them.
  6. 6
    Termination, especially from employment; the sack.
  7. 7
    A woodchopping competition.
  8. 8
    A crack or cleft; a chap.
  9. 9
    Aircraft turbulence.
  10. 10
    Cocaine.
  11. 11
    A knife, especially one used as a weapon.

Etymology

From Middle English choppen, chappen (“to chop”), of uncertain origin, possibly onomatopoeic, or a variant of chap (“to become cracked”). Cognate with Scots chap (“to chop”). Compare also Saterland Frisian kappe, kapje (“to hack; chop; lop off”), Dutch kappen (“to chop, cut, hew”), German Low German kappen (“to cut off; clip”), German kappen (“to cut; clip”), German dialectal chapfen, kchapfen (“to chop into small pieces”), Albanian copë (“piece, chunk”), Old English *ċippian (in forċippian (“to cut off”)). Perhaps related to chip.

Synonyms

axepink slipsack

This word in other languages

chuleta(Español)côtelette(Français)Kotelett(Deutsch)talhada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cchop,chhop,chopp,chpo,cohp,hcop

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cchop1chhop1chopp1chpo2cohp2hcop2
Edit distance from "chop"

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 "chop"?
"chop" is spelled C-H-O-P. The IPA pronunciation is /t͡ʃɒp/.
What does "chop" mean?
As a noun, "chop" means: A cut of meat, often containing a section of a rib.
What words are commonly confused with "chop"?
"chop" is commonly confused with "co", "cp", "cup". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chop"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chop" is /t͡ʃɒp/. 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 "chop"?
From Middle English choppen, chappen (“to chop”), of uncertain origin, possibly onomatopoeic, or a variant of chap (“to become cracked”). Cognate with Scots chap (“to chop”). Compare also Saterland Frisian kappe, kapje (“to hack; chop; lop off”), ... 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 “chop”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-O-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /t͡ʃɒp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “co” - see the side-by-side comparison. chop vs co
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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