chrism
/ˈkɹɪz(ə)m/
"chrism" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“chrism” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A mixture of oil and balm, consecrated for use as an anointing fluid in certain Christian ceremonies, especially confirmation.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | chrism |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkɹɪz(ə)m/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “chrism” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
chrism is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɹɪz(ə)m/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A mixture of oil and balm, consecrated for use as an anointing fluid in certain Christian ceremonies, especially confirmation.".
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for chrism, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English crisme, from Late Old English crisma, from Medieval Latin crisma, from Ecclesiastical Latin chrisma, from Ancient Greek χρῖσμα (khrîsma, “anointing”, “unction”), from χρίω (khríō, “anoint”). The correct English form is chrism, spelled C-H-R-I-S-M.
Definition
- 1A mixture of oil and balm, consecrated for use as an anointing fluid in certain Christian ceremonies, especially confirmation.
Etymology
From Middle English crisme, from Late Old English crisma, from Medieval Latin crisma, from Ecclesiastical Latin chrisma, from Ancient Greek χρῖσμα (khrîsma, “anointing”, “unction”), from χρίω (khríō, “anoint”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “chrism”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-H-R-I-S-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɹɪz(ə)m/ (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
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.