chronic

/ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/

//ˈkɹɒn.ɪk// adj

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

"chronic" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chronic” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,110 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#5,110
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of a problem, that continues over an extended period of time.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chronic vs Cronin
57% similar
chronic vs chronicle
78% similar
chronic vs chaotic
71% similar

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

Key facts for chronic
PropertyValue
Headwordchronic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,110
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chronic” 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). chronic 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 chronic is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,110 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for chronic, with forms such as "cchronic", "chhronic", and "chornic". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Cronin", "chronicle", "chaotic", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From chronical, from Old French cronike, from Latin chronicus, from Ancient Greek χρονικός (khronikós, “of time”), from χρόνος (khrónos, “time”). By surface analysis, chron- + -ic. The correct English form is chronic, spelled C-H-R-O-N-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a problem, that continues over an extended period of time.
  2. 2
    Prolonged or slow to heal.
  3. 3
    Of a person, suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal.
  4. 4
    Inveterate or habitual.
  5. 5
    Very bad, awful.
  6. 6
    Extremely serious.
  7. 7
    Good, great; "wicked".

Etymology

From chronical, from Old French cronike, from Latin chronicus, from Ancient Greek χρονικός (khronikós, “of time”), from χρόνος (khrónos, “time”). By surface analysis, chron- + -ic.

Synonyms

diuturnalprolongedlastingabysmalterriblebadgnarlysplendidexcellent

Antonyms

acutetransient

This word in other languages

crónico(Español)chronique(Français)langanhaltend(Deutsch)crónico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cchronic,chhronic,chornic,chrnoic,chroinc,chronci,chronicc,chronnic,chrronic,crhonic,hcronic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chronic - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

cchronic1chhronic1chornic2chrnoic2chroinc2chronci2chronicc1chronnic1
Edit distance from "chronic"

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 "chronic"?
"chronic" is spelled C-H-R-O-N-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/.
What does "chronic" mean?
As an adjective, "chronic" means: Of a problem, that continues over an extended period of time.
What words are commonly confused with "chronic"?
"chronic" is commonly confused with "Cronin", "chronicle", "chaotic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chronic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chronic" is /ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/. 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 "chronic"?
From chronical, from Old French cronike, from Latin chronicus, from Ancient Greek χρονικός (khronikós, “of time”), from χρόνος (khrónos, “time”). By surface analysis, chron- + -ic. 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 “chronic”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-H-R-O-N-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Cronin” - see the side-by-side comparison. chronic vs Cronin
  • 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