chronic

\ˈkɹɒn.ɪk\

/\ˈkɹɒn.ɪk\/ adj

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

The verdict

“chronic” is uncommon French (frequency #72,179 among 257,141 “C” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,179
frequency rank, French
257,141
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Chronique (problème que se prolonge pendant une durée importante).

Key facts for chronic
PropertyValue
Headwordchronic
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ˈkɹɒn.ɪk\
Letters7
Frequency rank#72,179
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “chronic” 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). chronic lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

chronic is uncommon French at frequency #72,179 among 257,141 “C” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed \ˈkɹɒn.ɪk\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

chronic doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is chronic, spelled C-H-R-O-N-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Chronique (problème que se prolonge pendant une durée importante).
  2. 2
    Chronique (en parlant d’une maladie ou d’un symptôme).
  3. 3
    Chronique (en parlant d’un patient souffrant d’une affection longue à guérir).
  4. 4
    Invétéré
  5. 5
    Très mauvais, terrible.
  6. 6
    Extrêmement sérieux.
  7. 7
    Bien, super.

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 "chronic"?
"chronic" is spelled C-H-R-O-N-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈkɹɒn.ɪk\.
What does "chronic" mean?
As an adjective, "chronic" means: Chronique (problème que se prolonge pendant une durée importante).
How do you pronounce "chronic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chronic" is \ˈkɹɒn.ɪk\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "chronic" come from?
"chronic" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “chronic”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is C-H-R-O-N-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈkɹɒn.ɪk\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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