sachem
/ˈseɪt͡ʃəm/
"sachem" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“sachem” is an uncommon English word, ranked #85,738 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #85,738
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A chief of one or several Native American tribe(s), especially of the Algonquians; a sagamore.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | sachem |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈseɪt͡ʃəm/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #85,738 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “sachem” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for sachem is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈseɪt͡ʃəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #85,738 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for sachem, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Narragansett sachem; compare Mi'kmaq saqamaw (“chief”) and Unami sakima (“chief”), all ultimately from Proto-Algonquian *sa·kima·wa. Doublet of sagamore. The correct English form is sachem, spelled S-A-C-H-E-M.
Definition
- 1A chief of one or several Native American tribe(s), especially of the Algonquians; a sagamore.
- 2A boss, a leader.
- 3An eminent member of a group, or an eminent person in society; a sagamore.
- 4A high-ranking officer of the Tammany Hall political organization.
Etymology
Borrowed from Narragansett sachem; compare Mi'kmaq saqamaw (“chief”) and Unami sakima (“chief”), all ultimately from Proto-Algonquian *sa·kima·wa. Doublet of sagamore.
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
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Using “sachem”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-A-C-H-E-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈseɪt͡ʃəm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.