chump

/t͡ʃʌmp/

//t͡ʃʌmp// noun

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

"chump" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“chump” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,322. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,322
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An incompetent person, a blockhead; a loser.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chump · chump · English

chump · rank #32,322 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,322
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH chronological…

Nearest frequency peer: chronologically (-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 “chump”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “chump” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chump vs cup
60% similar
chump vs cum
60% similar
chump vs coup
60% similar

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

Key facts for chump
PropertyValue
Headwordchump
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/t͡ʃʌmp/
Letters5
Frequency rank#32,322
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “chump”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).chumplands 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 “chronologically” (#32,321), “clamping” (#32,323), “chromatic” (#32,320). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chump” is #32,322. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around chump (IPA /t͡ʃʌmp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #32,322 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for chump, with forms such as "cchump", "chhump", and "chmup". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cup", "cum", "coup", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Origin uncertain; probably a blend of chunk and lump or stump, or perhaps a nasalised variant of chub (“someone chubby, something thick”). Compare Icelandic kubbur (“block of wood, chip (computing)”), Old Norse kumbr for kubbr (“block of wood”), English chop. The correct English form is chump, spelled C-H-U-M-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    An incompetent person, a blockhead; a loser.
  2. 2
    A gullible person; a sucker; someone easily taken advantage of; someone lacking common sense.
  3. 3
    The thick end, especially of a piece of wood or of a joint of meat.
  4. 4
    A person's head or face.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. That chump wouldn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.
  2. What chumps! Didn’t they realize that all they had to do was interpret the constitutional term “the Legislature” to mean “the people”?

Etymology

Origin uncertain; probably a blend of chunk and lump or stump, or perhaps a nasalised variant of chub (“someone chubby, something thick”). Compare Icelandic kubbur (“block of wood, chip (computing)”), Old Norse kumbr for kubbr (“block of wood”), English chop.

Synonyms

blockheadidiotdopedoltduncedummygullsuckerdupesapdummypatsypigeon

This word in other languages

paquete(Español)abruti(Français)Dummkopf(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cchump
  • chhump
  • chmup
  • chummp
  • chumpp
  • chupm
  • cuhmp
  • hcump

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chump - 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.

cchump1chhump1chmup2chummp1chumpp1chupm2cuhmp2hcump2
Edit distance from "chump"

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 "chump"?
"chump" is spelled C-H-U-M-P. The IPA pronunciation is /t͡ʃʌmp/.
What does "chump" mean?
As a noun, "chump" means: An incompetent person, a blockhead; a loser.
What words are commonly confused with "chump"?
"chump" is commonly confused with "cup", "cum", "coup". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chump"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chump" is /t͡ʃʌmp/. 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 "chump"?
Origin uncertain; probably a blend of chunk and lump or stump, or perhaps a nasalised variant of chub (“someone chubby, something thick”). Compare Icelandic kubbur (“block of wood, chip (computing)”), Old Norse kumbr for kubbr (“block of wood”), E... 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 "chump", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

clove#32,327comte#32,330Carta#32,310cysts#32,340

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

choppy8 variantsceliac8 variantsbrats8 variantsberyl8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list