tchotchke
/ˈt͡ʃɒt͡ʃkə/
"tchotchke" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“tchotchke” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small ornament of minor value; a knick-knack, a trinket.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | tchotchke |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈt͡ʃɒt͡ʃkə/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “tchotchke” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for tchotchke is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈt͡ʃɒt͡ʃkə/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for tchotchke, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Yiddish טשאַטשקע (tshatshke, “ornament; trinket; toy; (figurative) attractive girl or woman”), from a Slavic language and probably ultimately imitative of a baby’s utterances. Slavic cognates * Polish cacko (“toy; knick-knack, trinket; pretty … The correct English form is tchotchke, spelled T-C-H-O-T-C-H-K-E.
Definition
- 1A small ornament of minor value; a knick-knack, a trinket.
- 2An attractive girl or woman.
Etymology
Borrowed from Yiddish טשאַטשקע (tshatshke, “ornament; trinket; toy; (figurative) attractive girl or woman”), from a Slavic language and probably ultimately imitative of a baby’s utterances. Slavic cognates * Polish cacko (“toy; knick-knack, trinket; pretty thing”), from caca (“nice thing”), and czaczko (“(obsolete) toy; trinket; pretty thing”) * Russian ца́цка (cácka, “(informal) knick-knack, trinket; (dated) toy”), from ца́ца (cáca, “toy; trinket; well-behaved child; nice person; conceited person”) * Ukrainian ца́цка (cácka, “(dated) toy; ornament, trinket; conceited person; well-dressed person”), from ца́ца (cáca, “toy; well-behaved child; conceited person; attractive woman”)
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "tchotchke"?
What does "tchotchke" mean?
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What is the origin of the word "tchotchke"?
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Using “tchotchke”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-C-H-O-T-C-H-K-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈt͡ʃɒt͡ʃkə/ (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.