chronometer

/kɹəˈnɒm.ə.tə(ɹ)/

//kɹəˈnɒm.ə.tə(ɹ)// noun

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

"chronometer" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chronometer” is uncommon English (frequency #65,780 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,780
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device for measuring time, particularly a precision mechanism for measuring time of day.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chronometer · chronometer · English

chronometer · rank #65,780 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #65,780
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chloroplasts

Nearest frequency peer: chloroplasts (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “chronometer”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “chronometer” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for chronometer
PropertyValue
Headwordchronometer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɹəˈnɒm.ə.tə(ɹ)/
Letters11
Frequency rank#65,780
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “chronometer” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).chronometerfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “chloroplasts” (#65,779), “Circassian” (#65,781), “chloroplast” (#65,778). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chronometer” is #65,780. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

chronometer is uncommon English at frequency #65,780 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /kɹəˈnɒm.ə.tə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A device for measuring time, particularly a precision mechanism for measuring time of day.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for chronometer in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From chrono- + -meter, possibly after the model of earlier French chronomètre (“metronome”), ultimately from Ancient Greek χρόνος (khrónos, “time”) + μέτρον (métron, “meter, measuring device”). The correct English form is chronometer, spelled C-H-R-O-N-O-M-E-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device for measuring time, particularly a precision mechanism for measuring time of day.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how chronometer appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. A wristwatch costs $20; a chronometer costs $20,000.
  2. The balances of all moveable time-keepers, the chronometer excepted, are prevented from vibrating beyond the proper arc by what is called bankings. The inferior escapements are very easily banked; a pin fixed in the balance, coming in contact with one or two studs, is sufficient for that purpose. […]

Etymology

From chrono- + -meter, possibly after the model of earlier French chronomètre (“metronome”), ultimately from Ancient Greek χρόνος (khrónos, “time”) + μέτρον (métron, “meter, measuring device”).

Synonyms

timepiecetime standard

This word in other languages

cronómetro(Español)chronomètre(Français)Chronometer(Deutsch)cronómetro(Português)

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 "chronometer"?
"chronometer" is spelled C-H-R-O-N-O-M-E-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /kɹəˈnɒm.ə.tə(ɹ)/.
What does "chronometer" mean?
As a noun, "chronometer" means: A device for measuring time, particularly a precision mechanism for measuring time of day.
How do you pronounce "chronometer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chronometer" is /kɹəˈnɒm.ə.tə(ɹ)/. 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 "chronometer"?
From chrono- + -meter, possibly after the model of earlier French chronomètre (“metronome”), ultimately from Ancient Greek χρόνος (khrónos, “time”) + μέτρον (métron, “meter, measuring device”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "chronometer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

chloroplast#65,778compactness#65,790cardinality#65,763candidature#65,760

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list