chair

\ʃɛʁ\

/\ʃɛʁ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“chair” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #4,410 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,410
frequency rank, French
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Toutes les parties molles du corps humain et des animaux, et plus particulièrement la partie rouge des muscles.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

chair vs Cir
40% similar
chair vs CHR
0% similar
chair vs cher
60% similar

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

Key facts for chair
PropertyValue
Headwordchair
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ʃɛʁ\
Letters5
Frequency rank#4,410
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chair” sits in French frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for chair is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ʃɛʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #4,410 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for chair, with forms such as "cahir", "cchair", and "chairr". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Cir", "CHR", "cher", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is chair, spelled C-H-A-I-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Toutes les parties molles du corps humain et des animaux, et plus particulièrement la partie rouge des muscles.
  2. 2
    Parties molles qu’on traverse avec l’instrument tranchant.
  3. 3
    Substance molle qu’on observe dans les solutions de continuité, formée principalement par les bourgeons vasculaires.
  4. 4
    La viande des animaux terrestres et des oiseaux, considérée comme aliment.
  5. 5
    Partie blanche ou rougeâtre, mais de nature musculeuse, que l’on mange dans les poissons.
  6. 6
    L’apparence, la peau, la carnation.
  7. 7
    Partie succulente de certains fruits, aussi appelée sarcocarpe.
  8. 8
    Être vivant, humain ou animal.
  9. 9
    Corps considéré en opposition à la nature spirituelle.
  10. 10
    Chez saint Paul, ensemble des pulsions éloignant de Dieu.
  11. 11
    Concupiscence charnelle.
  12. 12
    Corps senti du point de vue de la personne même.
  13. 13
    Côté de la peau opposé à celui où se trouve le poil.

Synonyms

barbaquebidochecarneviande

This word in other languages

flesh(English)carne(Español)Fleisch(Deutsch)carne(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cahir,cchair,chairr,chari,chhair,chiar,hcair

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of chair - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

cahir2cchair1chairr1chari2chhair1chiar2hcair2
Edit distance from "chair"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "chair"?
"chair" is spelled C-H-A-I-R. The IPA pronunciation is \ʃɛʁ\.
What does "chair" mean?
As a noun, "chair" means: Toutes les parties molles du corps humain et des animaux, et plus particulièrement la partie rouge des muscles.
What words are commonly confused with "chair"?
"chair" is commonly confused with "Cir", "CHR", "cher". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "chair"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chair" is \ʃɛʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "chair" come from?
"chair" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

Using “chair”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is C-H-A-I-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ʃɛʁ\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Cir” - see the side-by-side comparison. chair vs Cir
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list