chrysalis

/ˈkɹɪsəlɪs/

//ˈkɹɪsəlɪs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“chrysalis” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,979. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,979
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The pupa of a butterfly or moth, particularly bare and hanging or girdled, as opposed to enclosed in a cocoon, in which metamorphosis takes place.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chrysalis · chrysalis · English

chrysalis · rank #46,979 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #46,979
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH choker

Nearest frequency peer: choker (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “chrysalis”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “chrysalis” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for chrysalis
PropertyValue
Headwordchrysalis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹɪsəlɪs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#46,979
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “chrysalis”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).chrysalislands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “choker” (#46,978), “chums” (#46,980), “Chiron” (#46,977). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chrysalis” is #46,979. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around chrysalis (IPA /ˈkɹɪsəlɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #46,979 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for chrysalis, with forms such as "cchrysalis", "chhrysalis", and "chrrysalis". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin chrysalis, from Ancient Greek χρυσαλλίς (khrusallís), from χρυσός (khrusós, “gold”), because of the color of some of them. The correct English form is chrysalis, spelled C-H-R-Y-S-A-L-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The pupa of a butterfly or moth, particularly bare and hanging or girdled, as opposed to enclosed in a cocoon, in which metamorphosis takes place.
  2. 2
    The cocoon itself.
  3. 3
    A limiting environment or situation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Amongst the particular signs testifying the same thing, are also those exhibited by worms which feed on herbs, which, when they are to undergo a metamorphosis, encompass themselves as with a womb, that they may be born again, being therein changed into nymphs and chrysalisses, and presently into beautiful butterflies, when they fly into the air as into th…
  2. The herbaceous or herbiferous produce had such gummy gelatinous properties, that tiniest tiddles incorporated themselves into huge chrysalisses, from whence monster butterflies egged it, all the world over, like snowberries, during a moist September, as soon as the blossom is by!

Etymology

From Latin chrysalis, from Ancient Greek χρυσαλλίς (khrusallís), from χρυσός (khrusós, “gold”), because of the color of some of them.

This word in other languages

crisálida(Español)chrysalide(Français)Puppe(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cchrysalis
  • chhrysalis
  • chrrysalis
  • chrsyalis
  • chryaslis
  • chrysails
  • chrysaliss
  • chrysallis
  • chrysalsi
  • chryslais
  • chryssalis
  • chryysalis
  • chyrsalis
  • crhysalis
  • hcrysalis

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chrysalis - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

cchrysalis1chhrysalis1chrrysalis1chrsyalis2chryaslis2chrysails2chrysaliss1chrysallis1
Edit distance from "chrysalis"

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 "chrysalis"?
"chrysalis" is spelled C-H-R-Y-S-A-L-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹɪsəlɪs/.
What does "chrysalis" mean?
As a noun, "chrysalis" means: The pupa of a butterfly or moth, particularly bare and hanging or girdled, as opposed to enclosed in a cocoon, in which metamorphosis takes place.
What are common misspellings of "chrysalis"?
Common misspellings include "cchrysalis", "chhrysalis", "chrrysalis", "chrsyalis", "chryaslis". The correct spelling is "chrysalis".
How do you pronounce "chrysalis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chrysalis" is /ˈkɹɪsəlɪs/. 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 "chrysalis"?
From Latin chrysalis, from Ancient Greek χρυσαλλίς (khrusallís), from χρυσός (khrusós, “gold”), because of the color of some of them. 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 "chrysalis", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

clenching#46,985cofounder#46,989bioethics#46,932binocular#46,931

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

collectives15 variantscompressive15 variantsBirkenhead15 variantsbimonthly15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list