chromosome

/ˈkɹəʊ.məˌsəʊm/

//ˈkɹəʊ.məˌsəʊm// noun

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

"chromosome" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chromosome” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,363. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,363
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A linear arrangement of condensed DNA and associated proteins (such as chaperone proteins) which contains the genetic material (genome) of an organism.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chromosome vs chromosomal
82% similar

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

Key facts for chromosome
PropertyValue
Headwordchromosome
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹəʊ.məˌsəʊm/
Letters10
Frequency rank#15,363
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chromosome” 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). chromosome lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around chromosome (IPA /ˈkɹəʊ.məˌsəʊm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,363 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A linear arrangement of condensed DNA and associated proteins (such as chaperone proteins) which contains the genetic material (genome) of an organism.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for chromosome, with forms such as "cchromosome", "chhromosome", and "chormosome". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "chromosomal", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: 19th century: from German Chromosom, ultimately from Ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrôma, “colour”) + σῶμα (sôma, “body”) (because they are stained under the microscope). Equivalent to chromo- + -some. The correct English form is chromosome, spelled C-H-R-O-M-O-S-O-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A linear arrangement of condensed DNA and associated proteins (such as chaperone proteins) which contains the genetic material (genome) of an organism.

Etymology

19th century: from German Chromosom, ultimately from Ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrôma, “colour”) + σῶμα (sôma, “body”) (because they are stained under the microscope). Equivalent to chromo- + -some.

This word in other languages

cromosoma(Español)chromosome(Français)Chromosom(Deutsch)cromossoma(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cchromosome
  • chhromosome
  • chormosome
  • chrmoosome
  • chrommosome
  • chromoosme
  • chromosmoe
  • chromosoem
  • chromosomme
  • chromossome
  • chromsoome
  • chroomsome
  • chrromosome
  • crhomosome
  • hcromosome

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cchromosome1chhromosome1chormosome2chrmoosome2chrommosome1chromoosme2chromosmoe2chromosoem2
Edit distance from "chromosome"

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 "chromosome"?
"chromosome" is spelled C-H-R-O-M-O-S-O-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹəʊ.məˌsəʊm/.
What does "chromosome" mean?
As a noun, "chromosome" means: A linear arrangement of condensed DNA and associated proteins (such as chaperone proteins) which contains the genetic material (genome) of an organism.
What words are commonly confused with "chromosome"?
"chromosome" is commonly confused with "chromosomal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chromosome"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chromosome" is /ˈkɹəʊ.məˌsəʊm/. 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 "chromosome"?
19th century: from German Chromosom, ultimately from Ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrôma, “colour”) + σῶμα (sôma, “body”) (because they are stained under the microscope). Equivalent to chromo- + -some. 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 “chromosome”

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

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

Same frequency band

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