chopstick

/ˈt͡ʃɒp.stɪk/

//ˈt͡ʃɒp.stɪk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“chopstick” is uncommon English (frequency #73,062 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#73,062
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An East Asian eating utensil usually used as a pair and held in one hand to grip pieces of food or occasionally to mix liquids or scoop up small pieces of food. The utensil is a stick, usually made...

Key facts for chopstick
PropertyValue
Headwordchopstick
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈt͡ʃɒp.stɪk/
Letters9
Frequency rank#73,062
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chopstick” 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). chopstick 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

chopstick is uncommon English at frequency #73,062 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈt͡ʃɒp.stɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

chopstick doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Apparently a compound of chop + stick, but the sense of the first element is not clear. The eating utensil sense (attested since 1637) is presumably a transfer of sense from the earlier fishing tackle sense (attested from 1615), based on physical resemblanc… The correct English form is chopstick, spelled C-H-O-P-S-T-I-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    An East Asian eating utensil usually used as a pair and held in one hand to grip pieces of food or occasionally to mix liquids or scoop up small pieces of food. The utensil is a stick, usually made of wood and measuring approximately 23 cm (10 inches) in length.
  2. 2
    An Asian person.
  3. 3
    A long straight stick forming part of various fishing tackle arrangements.

Etymology

Apparently a compound of chop + stick, but the sense of the first element is not clear. The eating utensil sense (attested since 1637) is presumably a transfer of sense from the earlier fishing tackle sense (attested from 1615), based on physical resemblance. The common derivation from Chinese Pidgin English chop(-chop) (“quick”), a supposed calque from Chinese 筷子 (kuàizi, “chopstick”), derived from 快 (kuài, “quick”), is chronologically impossible as Chinese Pidgin English did not come into existence until the 18th century.

This word in other languages

palillo(Español)baguette(Français)Essstäbchen(Deutsch)

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 "chopstick"?
"chopstick" is spelled C-H-O-P-S-T-I-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃɒp.stɪk/.
What does "chopstick" mean?
As a noun, "chopstick" means: An East Asian eating utensil usually used as a pair and held in one hand to grip pieces of food or occasionally to mix liquids or scoop up small pieces of food. The utensil is a stick, usually made...
How do you pronounce "chopstick"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chopstick" is /ˈt͡ʃɒp.stɪk/. 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 "chopstick"?
Apparently a compound of chop + stick, but the sense of the first element is not clear. The eating utensil sense (attested since 1637) is presumably a transfer of sense from the earlier fishing tackle sense (attested from 1615), based on physical ... 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 “chopstick”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-O-P-S-T-I-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈt͡ʃɒp.stɪk/ (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

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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list